All Or Nothing
by Stelera Kinsman
Summary: Itachi has found new allies in another realm.  When the Uchiha goes off on 'business' leaving Deidara in the hands of the wolf demon tribe, what happens when the artist slips right through Kouga's fingers and falls into a certain half-demon's lap? InuDei
1. The Newcomer

Chapter 1

The Newcomer

Three years.

It had been three years since she left.

Looked about his surroundings, a troubled half-demon looked about form his seat on the raged fence. He reached up into his snow-white hair and scratched into his pointed dog-ears. Inuyasha grumbled to himself and looked around again. He had already checked the Bone Eater's Well earlier, finding nothing, of course, and now he had nothing to do but wait.

"They should be here by now," the man muttered. "It's alright past noon, and they said they'd be here."

Just as he slipped off the fence, a couple came walking over the hill, two perfect twins following. The woman was beaming at the bundle in her arm, and it lovingly cooed back, drawing the attention of the man beside them as well.

"It's about time you all got here," the half-demon growled. "I've been waiting all morning for ya."

"Well I'm sorry, Inuyasha, but the twins just wouldn't get dressed in time," the woman sighed. "Plus Miroku here stopped for a quick exorcism on the way. He just couldn't help himself…"

The dark haired man beside her smiled meekly, rubbing his beaded hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, Sango, it wasn't very long, and it did give us enough money to buy lunch for everyone." Sango only huffed again and walked by Inuyasha, heading to their luncheon spot on the hill. Miroku, clad in his traditional monk robes, followed swiftly behind, and then Inuyasha, who fell victim to the attentions of the twin girls. Laughing and giggling wildly, they jumped on the hanyou, riding on his back as he climbed up the hill. Once all had settled, the girls wandered to picked weedy flowers while the adults conversed. They had been friends for four years now, having met through the combined toils of battling a fierce evil of long ago, and since they met their victory three years ago, the trio agreed to meet regularly, finding no reason to completely separate. The couple, Miroku and Sango, had finally settled down and started their family, while Inuyasha remained stagnate, waiting for their fourth comrade to return.

In the era of feudal Japan, humans and demons resided throughout the land, and as of now, they all were experiencing a sense of calm, a peace that hadn't settled until the death of one of most powerful and evil forces, Naraku. With the famous half-demon vanquished, the people could rest easy, thanks to their efforts of Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku... and Kagome Higurashi.

Four years ago, the fifteen-year-old girl, originating from a 20th century Japan, fell through the mystical Bone Eater's Well and came back in time to their world. She saved Inuyasha from a life of sleep, sealed against the Tree of Ages, and together they traveled to collect the shards of the broken Shikon jewel, an item of immense power. With the help of her found friends, the girl fought and struggled to rebuild the jewel and destroy it, defeating the great Naraku himself in the process. But as a result, the girl was sent back to her own time, as was Inuyasha, and the well was deactivated as a portal. Three years had passed, and as his sign of devotion to her, Inuyasha returned to it every three days, waiting for her return.

There had been no sign of change from the ancient well; not for three long years, and though Inuyasha was still clinging to hope as if his life depended on it, it was getting harder to keep his grip. Every now and again he would smell something different about the well, his half-demon blood giving him the heightened senses to detect subtle nuances in the air. Never would he find anything of importance. More often than not he would smell the lingering stench of the wolf-tribe that passed by the well frequently, but never had the sweet scent of Kagome returned to that spot.

Still Inuyasha made the tri-daily trip, hoping, waiting for the return of his quasi lover. There were days when it rained and Inuyasha would sulk in the branches of the old God tree and watch the well as if the sound of the storm would call the girl back to him. Though the proud half-demon would never admit it, over the year she had been a part of his life, the hanyou had fallen in love with Kagome.

As the day progressed, the little family socialized with the lonely mutt as always, and Sango had important business to inform him about this time.

After the death of their common enemy, Sango, a member of the fallen demon hunting clan had retired from hunting to settle with her family. But as she looked around she saw that even with the great evil vanquished, there were still demon and human conflicts, needing of mediation. After traveling with Inuyasha for so long, she grew to know that human and demon kind could coexist, and that the snuffing of demon tribes was not always the answer, a lesson the rest of humanity had not come to realize. So with news of squabbles in other villages, Sango decided to return to her post at the fallen clan base, and eventually rebuild the group to keep peace throughout the land.

All the while Inuyasha listened and considered the plan, agreeing that the human race needed counsel about demons, and the demonic population needed to be controlled, but lingering in the back of his mind, the thought of the family moving on and continuing life without their friend bothered him. He had been faithful for three years, and he didn't blame them for living without her, but as the demon huntress spoke of rebuilding her clan and going on with life, he heart sank. It looked as if things would go on without her, making it more and more unlikely for her return.

The hanyou's spirits were only dragged further downward when the friendly gathering wound down and Sango declared that it was time for them to depart. A wide yawn from one of the twins as she tried to use the half-demon's knee as a pillow finally decide it, and the old friends parted ways with Inuyasha. His ears folding back, a feeling of abandonment crept up on the hanyou again, the weight of loneliness feeling ever heavier. He spent a long time stewing in his own brooding thoughts before finally he decided to take the long walk past the Bone Eater's Well before finding a cave to settle in for the night.

As he walked up the hill, he ran through the paces of his life since she left, and found the results bleak. While everyone kept on, he stayed and let himself slip into depression, which only pissed him off. He felt weak for clinging onto her so tightly, but after the disaster of his first love, Kikyo, he vowed to make his relationship with Kagome better, staying true even in the face of defeat. He stepped warily into the tree line, making his way along the trampled path to the familiar clearing, knowing he'd find no one there.

But as his hand swept thoughtlessly over the bark of a random tree, he paused. A thread of human scent caught his attention, and he couldn't place the owner. All he knew for certain; it was from the well.

He was on the ancient portal in a heartbeat, his nose pressed into the grain as he tried to flood his senses with the scent of the newcomer. His ears stood on end as he drunk in the smells of the future and two distinct human odors. He could tell by the sharp, pungent scent that at least one was male, and from the freshness of the lingering essence, had emerged from the well and returned to the other side recently. The second scent was more difficult to define. It was weaker, fainter with the time that had passed and almost drowned out by a powerful, earthy aroma. But this smell lingered on. Clearly this person had not quit the parallel time through the well, and remained in feudal Japan.

Inuyasha parted his jaws slightly and drunk in the odd, new scent. The smell of the stranger still lingered in the air, leaving a razor thin trail that led deep into the heart of the forest. He let his body follow the trail, picking through the trees towards the invader. He could tell by the scent it could not have been Kagome, but anyone skilled enough to get through the magic of the well was worth seeking out.

Sandaled feet pounded against the loamy forest floor as their owner stomped his way through the unknown territory. The man wore a long, black cloak with a high collar that covered his face all the way up to his nose. His long blonde hair was tied up into a high ponytail, and his hands were crammed into two tan bags attached to the belt fastened securely around his waist. The man blew his blonde bangs furiously out of the left side of his face to keep the long hair from irritating his nose. As he stormed through the strange woods, he grumbled angrily to himself.

"Abandon me with a bunch of smelly heathens my ass un. If Itachi thinks I'll sit back and play bitch to a pack of savages while he's off with his _'other business'_ then he's got another thing coming un"

Further back, Inuyasha was fast onto him, following his lingering scent. With a new human emerging from the well, a renewed anticipation roused in his chest. By the testosterone in the signature, it was obviously not Kagome, but with any living thing crawling out of the portal was sure to have come from her time. For all Inuyasha knew, the well only went to her time, and if it had reactivated, letting anything in, then he needed to know who had come out, and if they knew anything about Kagome.

The man, unwittingly being pursued by the urgent half-demon, continued in a meandering direction, turning slightly north, and veering south again, still following ever eastward. There wasn't any real purpose to his path, and naught followed him but a trail of irate profanities and the silver-haired hanyou. The cloaked traveler locked his jaw and cursed past his teeth, seeming to grow more furious the further he walked.

"That bastard thinks he can keep me locked up like some goddamn trophy because he's got special eyes then we'll see just how well he can see me once I'm gone un. That'll teach that fuckface, Itachi, not to ditch me in the middle of nowhere un." The blonde man's brow furrowed with frustration, knowing that getting himself lost wasn't the best of plans, but he also was too furious to think of anything better. "We'll see how he likes being left alone un, then next time I see him, I'll blow his fucking ass up un!"

Inuyasha's ears cringed to the malice in the male voice, but he continued on, getting closer and closer to the wandering trespasser. As they wound through the wood, Inuyasha knew his target was reaching the clearing just over the hill, and once on top he could see just what this other-worlder looked like.

Angrily shoving the vegetation out of his path, the newcomer shouldered his way into the clearing just ahead. The saplings snapped back into place behind him, but for a moment Inuyasha caught a glimpse of bright blonde hair and pitch black fabric. The half demon could still hear the vulgarities hissing from the other man's lips and picked up his pace in hopes of catching the blonde before he made it to the other side of the open ground.

Before he gained too much ground, the long-lived hanyou found an opening in the trees and climbed through the limb to it, viewing out to the clearing were the man was storming to. With his demon blood, the launched himself into the air and over his mark, landing before him crouched in the dirt. He stayed silent and still, seeing the blonde man before him tense, even holding a black dagger in each hand in a fighting stance. But when neither made a move after a few breaths, Inuyasha rose slowly to his feet, and he saw that he was a few centimeters taller, giving him right to look down on the newcomer.

The stranger narrowed his eyes, or rather the one eye that was visible, the left being covered again by a thick curtain of blonde hair. When still Inuyasha did not move after a long moment of heavy glaring, the other man's lips curled downward and he snorted in annoyance.

"Goddamn it un, not another one. Look, It's clear you don't know me un. _'OOooh yeah, look at the funny guy, he's dressed weird and smells funny, and I must investigate.'_ I've only gotten that like a billion times today, and I've got someplace to be, now why don't you stand aside un?" The newcomer adjusted the knives in his hands to silently tell Inuyasha that he had no problem with using them against his foe. "I really don't have time for your stupid games un, so why don't you quit following me like you think you're stealthy and leave me be hm?"

Inuyasha did not move. He had gotten worse threats from greater beings, so he merely huffed.

"Did you come from the well?" Inuyasha growled.

"What are you un? A troll? Gonna make me answer your questions three to get through your forest un?" The blonde finally became comfortable enough to lower his weapons but did not tuck them away. His frown disappeared but that's not to say he smiled at Inuyasha, it was more of a look of cocky importance, as if even still he was far too special to waste his time with the other man. "All right un, and what if I did come from the well un? You looking for someone I can assure you I'm not your guy un."

The elder man simply looked over the other man. He was young, barely past his twenties, but by the look of his face, he had lived hard, probably through battle as his hands held the weapons with skill. Kagome's time was of leisure and technology, and as Inuyasha looked over his trained body, he found the man out of place in the Feudal Era, and 20th century alike.

"Do you come from… uh…T-Tokyo?"

"That's two un" the blonde replied, a smirk beginning to form on his face as he was expecting something. "Never heard of any place called Tokyo un, I'll give you a feebie though, I'm from Iwagakure un." The man adjusted the headband that covered his forehead, making sure that the silver plate of metal fastened onto the front was visible. The band of metal had a strange symbol carved into it, and a long slash mark through the engraving. "Now you got one more question before we've got a real problem, so better make it a good one un."

Inuyasha nodded and mulled over his thoughts. If he'd never heard of the place of Kagome's birth, it was almost certain he knew nothing of her. With his initial hope dashed, Inuyasha still pondered. He had still come from the Bone Eater's Well. That was proven by his scent laced all over the wood. So the obvious question remained.

"Why are you here?"

The blonde man shrugged to that, closing his eyes as if the whole question was so obvious it wasn't worth answering.

"Itachi dumped me here with a bunch of smelly cave-savages while he did some other shit un. He's been gone for 'bout half a day and I got sick of waiting around, so I left… see how he likes it un." The stranger looked back to Inuyasha, studying the hanyou's face for a moment before again opening his mouth as if he were about to demand that the other man step aside. There was a rushing of wind as if a storm had blown up from out of nowhere.

"I'd say I don't…" a voice rumbled from the opposite edge of the clearing, making the blonde man's head jerk around to face in that direction. Perched on a low tree branch and crouching in the shadows was another man, clad in the same kind of cloak as the blonde but with black hair done into a long pony tail down his back. Suddenly a shiver shot up the first man's spine and forgetting Inuyasha, he took a step backwards. "What are you doing so far away from the wolf's camp Deidara?"

The aforementioned man stood rigid as if the words had frozen him in his tracks.

"I… what un? You weren't coming back un, was I supposed to j-just wait around for you forever un?" Deidara took another step backwards until he nearly backed into the half-demon behind him.

Inuyasha stepped back, feeling a fight coming on. He for one wasn't going to get involved if he could… but he had questions. Inuyasha decided to shut his mouth and wait for the calm to find out about these strangers, and what they wanted.

"So you snuck off and found yourself a stinking peasant to bed? How very much like you…" The raven haired man's voice was low and dark, almost like every syllable carried a threat.

"That's not what I'm like Itachi un!" The blonde protested, stepping forward, adrenaline jumping through his veins and giving the courage, or stupidity to become angry. "Only in your mind un… only-!"

There was a moment when Itachi disappeared from where he was perched. In the next instant he reappeared in a dark cloud of black feathers directly in front of the blonde. Before Deidara could so much as yelp in surprise, the other man had launched his fist at the younger man, digging his knuckles deep into his abdomen and sending the blonde sprawling backwards. The injured man's body rolled and skidded through the dirt as the force of the blow sent him tumbling across the ground until he finally came to rest at Inuyasha's feet, not daring to move.

The hanyou crouched down, having taken another step during the blow, and instinctively he had his hand clenched around the hilt of the Tetsaiga. Taking a quick glance down, he saw the blonde man curled and clenching, his face twisted in pain. The hit hadn't seemed that hard, but he had no seen the full impact. Looking back, the dark haired man's eyes locked with his, daring him to interfere.

With a low groan, the blonde man placed a hand in the dirt and shuddered as he struggled to stand. Deidara looked up at the raven haired man, his visible eye narrowed with a kind of mixture between determination and agony.

"If you know what's good for you, you will stay down, Deidara" the older man hissed, not taking his eyes off of the silver hanyou.

"Itachi-san… what the hell un?" the blonde shuddered and eventually gave up on his struggle to stand, his guts screaming in pain as if the punch had tied his organs into a knot. Deidara coughed slightly, finding he couldn't get a full breath of air, only filling his mouth with blood in the process. "What did you do to me-?"

"Shut your stupid mouth" Itachi snapped, successfully silencing the blonde. Still the older of the two men refused to let down his glare directed at the hanyou. After what felt like ages of the two men locking eyes and Deidara cringing in the dirt between them, Itachi's voice came rumbling again, low and sinister. "If you haven't any qualms here, I suggest you crawl back to the cave you came from, demon, before this becomes your battle too."

Used to battle, Inuyasha slowly stood, hand still on his hilt and ground his heel in the dirt, bracing.

"This is my home… I'm not leaving. You all came from the well, so I suggest you take your fight somewhere else."

"I'm not going anywhere with that bastard _now_ un." Deidara hissed, spitting a gob of blood from out of his mouth and into the dirt. The blonde man's eyes narrowed and he gave Itachi a resentful scowl, only angering the raven haired man further. Slowly the older man rose from his fighting stance, looking down at his victim still bent over his injured belly. The large collar around the raven's cloak hid the smirk that was stuck on his lips, but his eyes seemed to flash briefly with a fury that almost glowed red.

"I thought…" Itachi began as he began to walk closer to the blonde man. "I told you to…" he stood over Deidara who still glowered at the older man. "_Shut_" the raven haired man shoved his cohort violently with his foot, bringing Deidara again to sprawl on the ground, "your stupid mouth."

The hanyou finally stepped between the pair.

"Kicking a man while he's down… that's low. Back off." There was no valid reason in his mind to interfere, but one sided battled always pissed him off. "Let him at least get up."

Itachi's head bowed slightly as if in recognition of his err, leading the hanyou to give a triumphant snort. In the next instant, many things happened. The raven haired ninja's eyes snapped open, his irises having shifted from obsidian to bright scarlet. He darted forward with a blinding kind of speed and was on Inuyasha in a fraction of a heartbeat. Itachi's elbow darted out and jammed forcefully into the half-demon's chest, knocking the air out of Inuyasha's lungs and pushing him backwards.

"I'll see you to your grave, floozy, rest assured Deidara will receive his own reward soon enough."

Inuyasha's mind reeled from the speed of the attack, but as he recovered, he growled, only cracking his knuckles.

"Who the hell are you calling a 'floozy'?"

"Now, did that man not tell you he was spoken for?" With a sigh almost successfully mimicking remorse as his eyes fell down to Deidara still recovering as he struggled to regain his feet. "Dei-chan, what have I told you about lying to strangers?"

Staggering, the blonde man couldn't help but take a hold of the sleeve of Inuyasha's blood-red robe as he tried to steady himself. The younger ninja gasped, finally filling his lungs with not much more than a mouthful of air. Never taking his eyes off of his attacker, Deidara opened his mouth, about to use his first breath to retort back spitefully. He was cut off quickly as Itachi's lightning fast speed was again implemented. In the next instant, the blonde man's head was jerking to the side under an invisibly fast blow, shaking him and crumpling him to the ground again.

But before the aggressor could strike again or retreat, he was pushed back himself by the hanyou, taking his own fist to the smirking face. As Itachi slid back from the blow, Inuyasha unleashed his mighty blade and stepped in front of the wounded stranger, holding the Tetsaiga between them and the red-eyed man.

"I don't wanna fight you, but I won't watch you kill another human and do nothing to stop it. I think you're mistaken, because I don't know either of you… but there won't be any death today, so I'll tell you again… Back. Off."

"You have me mistaken…" the raven haired man replied in a low voice, wiping a bit of blood from the corner of his lip. "You must have me confused with a man who intends to kill a human." The red eyes narrowed as if in a way, Itachi was sizing up his opponent, trying to judge whether or not he could best the hanyou in combat. Finally deciding that the foe was manageable, Itachi's smirk returned to his lips. "I, on the other hand, intend to kill a filthy lecherous demon."

With that the man launched himself at his enemy, and Inuyasha barley had enough time to block him. Taking the flat of his sword, the half-breed blocked Itachi, holding him off and pushed him back once more. With the space between the two of them, Inuyasha let loose his main attack, the Wind Scar, at the raven-hair, carving a path towards him in the earth, As the energy blast cleared, the hanyou looked around, and found his foe gone from his place of attack.

While Inuyasha looked around the clearing for where the enemy might have gone, the attacking shinobi took his opportunity to strike. Reappearing seemingly impossibly from behind, the raven haired man exploded from the trees, launching a volley of shining black blades at the hanyou as he arced through the air.

Inuyasha almost didn't duck behind his blade in time, letting one of the blades catch his cheek. As the wave seemed to stop, the hanyou held up his fingers to his cheekbone, and finding blood, he smiled. Running the back of his nails over the wound, his blood coated the tips of his claws, and finding his target, threw his Blade of Blood in his direction. Itachi easily avoided the bright stripe coming at him, but as he dashed out of their way, another force of bright light came crashing into him, Inuyasha having sent another Wind Scar slash in his path of escape.

"Hm, no wonder Deidara was so drawn to you…" the ninja's voice rumbled deep and calm in the moment's reprieve. The hanyou was powerful like his demonic kin, but seemed to have a soft spot for human kind, perhaps a weakness that could be seized upon. Itachi closed his eyes almost somberly as his right hand found its way to the katana sheathed at his hip, drawing the pure steel blade and holding it out before himself. Like being galvanized by a core of fire, the metal began to glow and radiate a blue light like the lapping of very intense flames. With the power of his very chakras coursing through his glinting sword, Itachi's eyes finally snapped open and he launched himself again at the half-demon.

The half breed cringed at the unnatural speed of his opponent. The very skill of this man was almost as great as the Band of Seven, and he struggled to keep his ground. At the moment, all he could do was block and push back the raven-hairs blows, not having enough space or time to unleash the Wind Scar, or Blades of Blood for that matter.

From looking into the clearing, one might have mistaken the battle at first to be a ballet. The movements, though fast and ending with the added ring of steel as punctuation, were graceful and unfaltering, leaving both men at an impasse neither being able to land a blow on the other. Finding his patience wearing thin, Itachi broke apart from the battle, using the razor edge of the Tetsaiga to push off from. The ninja landed easily on the opposite side of the clearing, taking only a short moment to lash out with his katana and deflect another scarlet claw of blood.

"Why the hell are you fighting me," Inuyasha called out through heavy breaths. The constant struggle to block had tired him, but he knew better than show it and kept his blade in front of himself and the victim still on the ground, as a shield. "What did I do?"

Coolly the raven haired man lowered his blade and slid it back into its scabbard. Still the man refused to allow his face to change; the offending shinobi remained completely stoic, not showing a shred of feeling.

"You have looked upon and touched that which is mine, and for that I will pluck out your eyes and kill you."

"I have no-" Inuyasha paused. Looking quickly to the blonde, and meeting his eye after a moment, the man's stare almost apologetic, the silver-hair looked back to the other in shock. "What? I don't even know this guy! I ran into him only a few seconds before you showed up. I'm just trying to find Ka-"

He was abruptly interrupted as the other man's hands flew through a series of hand seals almost faster than could be seen. In less than a heartbeat's time Itachi's lungs were filled to the brim and heaving a deep breath from his chest, unleashed a humongous ball of roaring fire at the hanyou. The attack was reckless but powerful, and part of it was using its dangerous path to insure a hit. The fireball thundered towards Inuyasha, and the injured man just behind him.

Acting on instinct, Inuyasha rushed to throw himself over the man's body, cloaking his exposed body in the fabric of the Fire Rat hamaka, knowing no flame, magic or otherwise, could penetrate the cloth. After the blaze subsided, Inu stood again and looked over his shoulder, glaring at his enemy.

"If you tell the truth, then why not let him perish?" Hearing the threat, Deidara's breathing hitched and he struggled to shrug the protective man off of himself. There was an urgency about it as even with his wounded gut the blonde scrambled to his feet and made a break for the trees. The younger man didn't get far however until he was face to face with Itachi again. The raven haired man struck his counterpart down with a powerful fist, sending him crashing to the ground where he didn't move.

Inuyasha scrambled up and blocked Itachi's second attack on the younger man, sending the foe into the trees with a successful blow to his face.

"I may not know him," Inuyasha growled. "But I'm not gonna watch you beat him until he's dead. This is my forest, damnit."

Itachi's body landed awkwardly on a branch, hanging like a broken rag doll, his back bent a near perfect 180 degrees. For a moment, Inuyasha's heart stopped, feeling ice pour through his veins at the thought of having slain someone. His eyes widened with surprise as the ninja's body seemed to fall to pieces. In a flurry of coarse, black feathers, each of the portions of flesh and fabric that fell away from the killed man took wing and dispersed into a cackling flock of crows.

As the last of the birds flew away, the hanyou sighed and turned and knelt next to the limp body. Deidara had closed his eyes, but Inuyasha counted his breaths and knew he was still conscious. Looking over the blonde's body, he sighed at the awkward way he held his chest and stomach, not realizing how bad the beating had been. But before he could offer his help, Inuyasha's ear turned back to the sound of rustling, and as his head turned, his face was met with another blow that threw him away from Deidara to the ground.

The ninja was after him with blinding speed, following to land another powerful blow to the hanyou's chest just as the white haired man met the ground. Looking up at Itachi wish a startled look on his face, Inuyasha took in a good view of the human's eyes. Like perfect drops of blood on starch white paper, the raven's kekegenkai, his inherited gift, stared back with a kind of cold fury Inuyasha had never seen before in the eyes of a human.

Before another blow was struck, Inuyasha rolled away to his knee, bringing the Tetsaiga in front of his chest.

"You're really annoying, you know," the hanyou chuckled spitefully. "Like a fucking gnat." He wiped is chin of the sweat and collected blood for his cheek and smirked, drawing all the attention from the shinobi he could. He could take a beating… better than the blonde could. He could outlast.

The raven haired man made no movement of retaliation; the words made no difference to him in the slightest. Itachi remained perfectly stoic. The two stared each other down, another stalemate bringing each man to silently dare the other to move first. Taking it as a kind of queue, Itachi nodded slightly, keeping his eyes on his foe.

"You really have no idea who it is you are fighting, do you? I could destroy you so completely that there wouldn't be so much as a speck of you remaining, if I felt so inclined." The threat wasn't hollow, and had his previous business on the other side of the well hadn't run his chakras so thin, he might have had the energy to follow through.

Inuyasha ventured a cocky smile.

"Show me what you got then."

"Hn," the shinobi grunted slightly in response, "another time perhaps…" As much as he desired the hanyou's head on a stick, Itachi could feel that however long he could make the battle last, he had not the strength left in him to claim victory. Instead he would gather Deidara and return to the Akatsuki base on the other side of the well to plot his next attack on the demon that dared to touch his property. Turning his head to the man still clutching at his wounded torso in the dirt, Itachi narrowed his eyes as if weighing the damage done to his counterpart.

"Deidara!" he snapped, not needing to say no more in order to call the blonde to him. Much to Inuyasha's surprise, the younger ninja let out a slight groan of agony but struggled to his feet, shuddering and stumbling as he took a step towards the red eyed man.

The hanyou invisibly clenched his teeth, as the blonde wobbled over towards the other cloaked male, and Inu said nothing. No matter how hard he wanted to deck the raven-hair, it wasn't his place if the younger man went back to him.

The blonde man paused for a moment, holding his gut with one hand and his knee with the other while his balance returned. His steps still being unsure, his footing threatening to give out beneath him, Deidara made his way slowly back to the other ninja, fighting for all he was worth to stand before Itachi. Wavering slightly where he stood, the younger man locked eyes with the raven haired man, making a face as if he were about to say something. Taking in a deep breath in preparation to speak his mind, the blonde ninja pursed his lips slightly and spat a gob of blood directly into the other ninja's eye.

Startled completely by his counterpart's action, Itachi flinched away in the first instant. In the next heartbeat, however, Deidara had received another blow from the older man, crumpling him to the ground yet again.

Before the battered body could touch earth, a strong demonic hand held his head up, and pulled the weight away from the attacker. As Itachi rose a foot to curb-stomp the blonde, Inuyasha merely knocked his foot, making him stumble back.

"He obviously doesn't want to go with you, so I suggest you leave. There's nothing for you here, cause I'm not letting you fight a downed man." Inuyasha gently laid Deidara's head back to the ground and gripped tightly to his hilt, sending an apparent warning.

Itachi narrowed his blood-red eyes, knowing that his chances of defeating the demon were less than dismal in his current state. Instead the raven haired man snorted, his face remaining stoic even as he spoke.

"I won't be gone long, and I will return for my _things_, you can be sure." Being a man of few words, the ninja left the threat at that, retreating in a flurry of wings and black feathers. With that Inuyasha and the blonde stranger were the only ones left in the clearing and with Deidara not to be called conscious, the forest was silent.


	2. What Exactly Are You?

Chapter 2

What Exactly Are You?

From the calm, breezy setting of the open air, Deidara's sense of smell opened to the pungent smell of stale and damp earth. It was cold rather than cool, and the ground was hard and wet beneath him. As he opened his eye, he panicked, thinking himself blind in the lack of light, but as he adjusted, what little light there was came from his left side, making him roll towards it.

A flame crackled and glowed from behind a ring of stones, casting warm, orange light across the ground. A figure half illuminated by the light sat opposite of Deidara, his face outlined by harsh, dancing shadows in the warm firelight. The young man groaned slightly, his hand lifting slowly to feel the throbbing bruise on the side of his head where he had taken the beating of the year. There was a fairly good sized knot against his bone, but in the hours he had been unconscious, the swelling had gone down. Shifting slightly, Deidara mustered all his possible strength to sit up on his elbows without vomiting. Just moving his head made the ninja dizzy, but he knew he would have to move soon anyhow, even if the silver haired man had intervened before didn't mean Deidara was safe. Not by a long shot.

Inuyasha's ear had swiveled to the sound, but he didn't move from his seat as the wounded shakily lay back down.

"Yeah, I figure you're not gonna wanna move for a while. He beat the shit out of you pretty bad." The hanyou tore into a fish he had in his hands, chewing another chunk thoughtfully. "There's food when you want it."

Wiping his hands over his face as if to clear away the exhaustion, Deidara groaned, feeling as if his entire body was sore enough to fall into pieces at any moment.

"Ugh… what the hell… where am I un?" His head still spinning and with darkness having fallen, any man would get disoriented; but in the ninja's case, being displaced in time only made matters worse. With a grunt of effort, the blonde man tucked his fingers underneath his forehead protector and pulled the band down around his neck, easing the pressure on his throbbing skull just slightly.

"We're in a cave for the night. It's not good to sleep in the open with such severe wounds. I would have slept outside, but I didn't want you dying all alone. We should get you to the village, get your wounds treated." Inuyasha shifted to kneel next to the man, extending a hand. "I know the village priestess and she can fix-"

"What un?" the blonde interrupted, sitting up despite the pain in his gut. Deidara trembled with a hand clutching at his abdomen in a vain attempt to quell the soreness of his injury. "I'm in a _cave_ un? Why the hell and I in a _cave_? Why am I still here? Where did Itachi go?"

Inuyasha growled and stiffly put his hand on the man's shoulder, easily pushing him back to lie back.

"Stop freaking out or you'll spew blood everywhere. We're in a cave cause it's dark and there's shit out there I don't wanna fight in my sleep. And that guy disappeared after you passed out. I don't know if he left through the well… but he hasn't shown up all night. I think he left. You're safe."

There was a long pause as if the young ninja had lost all words to say, staring up at the ceiling in a kind of shock. Folding his hands over his chest, Deidara let a long sigh, the breath shuddering in his chest as the pain in his muscles flared up slightly.

"He just… left un?" the blonde murmured as if he couldn't believe what Inuyasha had told him. "He didn't try to take me with him un?"

"Well he said…. He'd be back to get his things… I guess that means you, but I told him not to fight a man who can't fight back. It's not right. You can stay here for now if you want… no one really uses these caves, except me. Or I think there's room in the village." Inuyasha placed his palms on his knees, watching the blonde search the ceiling for something, and he was quiet for a while.

"That sick bastard un…" the ninja muttered after a long interval of not much thought and even less talking, "objectifying me and abandoning me un… like he's loaning his teapot to the new neighbor un…" Continuing to stare at the rock above him, Deidara let a frown crease his bow and turn his lips downward. "I'm glad I spat in his eye un… that weasel deserved it."

Inuyasha leaned back and moved to the fire, looking over to find the man wasn't joining in on the warmth.

"So are you too fucked up for me to ask you some questions? I need to know about where you came from."

Rolling on his side, albeit with a fair amount of effort, Deidara propped his head up on one elbow and looked up at his new companion with tired eyes.

"I've taken worse beatings and lived un… go ahead, shoot hm."

"You said before you came through the well, but not form Tokyo. Then… where are you from? The well only goes to my time… and hers…" Inuyasha trailed off, looking into the fire for answers. "Why are you here? Did… did a woman send you?"

Thinking the question over, Deidara had to conclude that the other man had never heard of the era of the shinobi. He closed his eyes and finally coming up with the best way he could think to explain it, the blonde man took a hold of the metal plate around his neck.

"See this un?" he asked, holding it up to the light. "This is the symbol of honor worn by all ninja in the place… or time… on the other side of that well un." Fumbling with the knot behind him, the blonde removed the cloth and gave it a gentle toss, passing it to the curious half-demon. "Where I come from un, the world, down to the last village is run by ninja un… shadow warriors. Ninja are different from other soldiers like samurai in that our primary weapons are our minds un."

"That's not possible," Inuyasha huffed. "You had to have come from another village or something, because that well, The Bone Eater's Well, that only goes to the twentieth century and now. That's it. Why were you hanging around it? And you still haven't told me what the hell you and that other guy are doing here!"

"Look un, if you don't want to listen then that's your problem, but I'm telling you there isn't any village within 20 miles of that well un." Deidara pursed his lips resolutely, not liking one bit to be mistakenly corrected. "As to why the hell I'm even here, it beats the hell outa me un. Itachi wanted me to tag along while he spoke with some _'dignitaries'_ from this _other world_… apparently he's got allies here… but when we got to their camp they were a bunch of dirty pelt-wearing savages un."

"Wait, pelt wearing? They weren't wolf demons, were they? Oh shit, please tell me the leader's name wasn't Kouga."

"I don't know about demon's un… not like any demons _I've_ ever seen un. The dude in charge was this big tall guy, dark skin, pointy ears, long pony tail… the real tribe-savage type un." Deidara scratched the side of his head, feeling if the swelling had gone down any on his noggin, which it hadn't. He and a bunch of his smelly cronies went gallivanting off after Itachi and ditched me in their pig-sty of a camp."

"Shit, that sound like the wolf shit… how the does this 'Itachi' know Kouga-baka? You haven't been here before, have you?"

"Not me un… but Itachi-san's been here long enough to have those barbarians catering to his beck and call un." The young ninja folded his arms in what might have been mistaken for a sulk by anyone who couldn't tell that the frown was from the pain that still lasted in his body.

Inuyasha's face hardened.

"Look, I'm not the wolf tribe's biggest fan, but they're not nasty barbarians. They are a tribe of powerful demons, so quit talking about them like you're so high and mighty. I mean… what do you think I am?" The hanyou raised his eyebrow as he tugged his own ear thoughtfully.

"Hm," Deidara grunted in response, not amused in the slightest by the abnormal appendages. "So you've got some weirdo ears un… so what un? I can top that un, take a look." Lifting his hand and facing it outward, he raised his palm in front of Inuyasha's face. At first there seemed to be nothing strange about it. Sure there was a nasty looking scar across it that almost looked like he'd had his hand sliced in half, but that was no big deal.

What Inuyasha hadn't been expecting was for the scar to break open and for a moment, Inuyasha's hands twitched so as to take a hold of the other man's hand and seal the wound. Instead of blood, however, a dark pink tongue slid out of Deidara's palm. The skin around it pealed back and in the dim light Inuyasha could make out the glimmering of teeth.

Inuyasha inspected the second mouth curiously, and jerked back as the hand mouth licked his clawed fingers. As the wounded man laughed, the hanyou grimaced and wiped his hand on his hakama.

"That only tells me you're probably a demon. Only demon blood holds that kind of power to alter the human form. Humans can't look like this." Inuyasha pointed to the oral hand and his own ears again, pushing his case. "Not even in the future are there beings other than demons that have body parts and powers like this."

"Huh!" The blonde laughed slightly, "you wish I was a demon un." Deidara smirked to himself at the thought. "Not a chance un, demons are gigantic monster animals. The closest thing I've ever seen to a demon taking human form is a bijuu un… a demon trapped in a human's body." The ninja rolled slightly if only to show that he had a mouth on his other hand as well. "No un, these came from a forbidden jutsu un… that's why I've got the slash in my forehead protector un… I suppose it it's a little liberating for once not being a wanted man un."

"No, you're crazy." Inuyasha reached over to his side and unsheathed the Tetsuiga, letting it transform from the hilt to blade and held it out for the stranger to see. "You can't be human. No magic can truly change a human. You have to be part demon at least. Here, try and grab the sword." Inuyasha watched, knowing if his grasp held the Tetsuiga's mighty form that it proved of the man's demon blood, and being so it would burn his skin. But if the blade died in his grasp… but no, it couldn't be.

"Alright, pushy, then give it here un" Deidara snapped in response, sitting up and taking a hold of the blade. Reluctantly Inuyasha allowed his prized weapon to slip from between his finger, handing his father's fang over to the other man. There was a moment during which the half-demon held his breath as the blade was passed, waiting to see which way it would turn. For a heartbeat the blade stayed transformed in Deidara's grasp, and the blond grunted under the sheer weight of the weapon. Before Inuyasha had the chance to chide the other man on his mistake, the sword shrunk, reverting back into the form or a rusty old katana.

Inuyasha's eyes widened.

"No way." He snatched his sword again, holding it in each palm. As he let the demonic energy build back, the rusted iron began to glow and grew in his hands, and soon it returned to its form from moments before. He sighed and slid it back in its scabbard, and he stared at Deidara.

"What the hell are you? How can you do magic without demon blood?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa un" the ninja stopped Inuyasha before he could go further, "I never said anything about magic un. I haven't believed in magic since I was kid un, all that hocus pocus mumbo jumbo un. It's a load of bull, don't get your hopes up un." Looking back at his hands, Deidara shook his head. "No un, these are not _magic_ un, I made them with a jutsu so I could better my art. All ninja can use some kind of jutsu, most can use all three un. But there's ninjutsu, attacks and walls and summoning and shit; genjutus, mind tricks and illusions and all that; and taijutsus which are like increased speed, strength and stamina for martial arts un. I've never even heard about a ninja using magic before un."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes to the stranger.

"What the hell is 'jutsu'?"

Deidara groaned and wiped his hand down his face in exasperation.

"Did I not just get done explaining this un? Jutsus are special abilities used by ninja by channeling chakras un. You ought'a know un. You did a pretty good job transforming that sword of yours un."

"That had nothing to do with… what did you say, 'chakras'. It's demon blood that powers the Tetsaiga. You obviously no nothing of the world. Human have nothing without their weapons. Only demons can use their own strength to fight, everyone knows that."

"Well that's strange, now isn't it un," the blonde snorted in reply, "cause last time I checked demons weren't all that common, now were they un? And I have yet to see hide or hair of a demon un, if you've got one locked up in the back of this cave or something I'd really like to see it un."

Inuyasha laughed and stuck another handful of sticks in his fire.

"I thought you said you were with Kouga and his tribe today. There's a whole group right there."

"Those weren't demons un, just pointy-eared forest people," Deidara snorted. "Trust me un, I'd know if I'd have seen a demon around here… they're kind of hard to miss un."

"Well you got that right. Especially in the forest. You can always find a swarm of demons sulking about preying on humans dumb enough to wander around at night. But they are demons. Full blooded. Trust me. I think I would know."

The ninja spread his arms out wide like wings by his side in obvious frustration. "How the_ hell_ do you come up with a _pack_ of demons un? They're like a hundred feet tall and would kill each other as soon as look at each other un. _I_ should know un! I lost my left arm to a demon un!" Deidara slammed his left fist down onto the cave floor before rolling back his sleeve to show where the flesh had once been severed and crudely reattached. "Does the name Ichibi no Shukaku ring any bells un? How about Kitsune no Kyuubi un?"

"Never, but not all demons are huge. The wolf tribe lives in that form all the time, but I know some demons have two forms." Inuyasha trailed off, not favoring the thought of his brother. "Anyway, you have you're ignorant about demons, like most humans, so don't talk to me like you know anything."

"You can't talk to me about ignorance un, if you haven't even herd of two of the most powerful demons in the world un, I'm not the ignorant one here un, you are." Deidara's eyes narrowed. "Demon can't take human form un, the closest thing would be a jinchuriki un, a human with a demon sealed inside un."

"You are an idiot. You must be from another world because here, there are humans and there are demons, plain and simple. Maybe in your world there aren't, but there's plenty here. We've had a few possessions, but mostly demons keep to themselves… unless they're eaters. I hate eaters. Keep eating and eating and don't know when to quit. Those bastards make me sick. They're the kind of demon humans think of, so they think all demons need to be exterminated."

At that Deidara sat bold upright, his hand trembling in some combination of sudden rage and shock. "Who the hell in their right mind would kill a demon un? Such pure and immeasurable power as they have, and as rare as they are? Who could possibly so much as think of killing one of the bijuu, let alone following through un?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. The man had not been listening to anything he had said, so the hanyou decided to give up. There was no use in trying to convince an idiot.

"Whatever, now rest. You're never going to heal hollering and thrashing about."

Sighing, Deidara lied back and folded his hands behind his head and closed, frowning irately.

"You don't have to worry your pretty little head about me un. I've taken worse beatings and here I am un. Of course I'll be the last man to say no to a good rest after getting his face kicked in un."

Inuyasha grumbled and rubbed his hands, and hunkered down at his seat.

"So who was that other guy 'Itachi'? He wore the same robe as you, but he can't be your comrade."

"Yeah, well he is un." Deidara pulled his black cloak up higher on his shoulders. "Itachi and I are both members of an organization… let's just say we work in the maintenance of the demon population un." The young ninja curled himself slightly as if trying to block out the cold.

"Like demon hunters. I've had some experience myself, but how can you call a man that beats the shit out of you a comrade? I know my friends wouldn't turn on me and almost crush my face in… not that they could."

"I never said he was my friend un… If I can put it this way un, membership was not voluntary un, and frankly I'd be rid of the lot of them if my life wouldn't be the price to pay." Deidara frowned and folded his arms together. "On the other hand… you could say that Itachi and I… have a certain relationship of a rather one-sided nature un…"

The hanyou cocked his head.

"Well whatever 'relationship' you're in, it's a shitty one. You aren't going back, are you? It seems stupid to go back to an asshole like that. Someone should give him a good ass kicking if you ask me. People like that need to be cut to size."

"I quite like my head being attached to my neck, thank you un, but if you've got any other suggestions on how best I can get myself killed I'd prefer you keep them to yourself next time un." Deidara rubbed his own forehead with the heel of his palm. "To put it one way, Itachi's not a man it is easy to get away from… see… it's his bloody eyes un… they see everything, even before it happens. And quite frankly I'd probably get it twice as bad as today if I didn't go back to him un… I'm already in for it, spitting in his eye like that un…"

"Well he deserved it. You know there's safety here, in the village, I mean. It's pretty remote here, and if that Itachi guy comes snooping around, I can handle him." Inuyasha poked his fire, mulling over his situation. Keeping this other-worlder here long might prove dangerous, but getting the answers he needed offered a step towards Kagome, and any possibility of peril was worth that. "you're welcome to stay here."

"I wouldn't mind shelter if it is being offered un, not to say that I'm on the lamb from Itachi by any means un." The blonde huffed to himself, "but the first sign that the situation can't be handled, and I will return with him… just because I kill with a knife at my back doesn't mean I _want_ to hurt strangers un…"

"Well I don't mind you staying, but I've got more questions. But for tonight, get some sleep and don't die. We'll leave at first light for Kaede's village. It's not far from here, but I'd rather not have to deal with the critters of the night. They get to be nasty this time of night, and I've got my fire. Get some rest, and I'll keep watch."

"Aren't you going to sleep un?" the ninja asked, looking over his shoulder at the other man. "I wouldn't mind sharing the night watch with you un… Call me proud, but I don't exactly want to use you as a crutch un… which reminds me un… we haven't been properly introduced…" the ninja rolled onto his back looking over at his rescuer. "My name is Deidara Hashimoto un…"

"Inuyasha."

"…that's all?"

"That's all I need." The hanyou sighed. "I was named by my father, and demons have no need for last names."

"Right… demons un… well wake me up when my shift starts then Inuyasha un." With that the blonde rolled over, facing his back to the fire and his only company. With some fidgeting he tried his best to become comfortable, to little avail. Eventually he found sleep, though not without a struggle.

Inuyasha simply watched his flames, licking at the air and sorted his thoughts, waiting for morning.

In the morning light, there was a soft clicking and chirping of insects in the long grass of the forest floor, and birds littered the branches of the thick canopy. Walking hurriedly through, Inuyasha kept his pace towards the village up to make up for lost time. Having to hunt for large game in the woods proved more difficult than usual, possibly from the presence of strangers in the routine life of the forest. Breakfast had taken long, as they had to rebuild the dead fire and the two ate in and awkward air.

Deidara did well to keep in toe with the half demon, despite his injuries from the previous evening. It was remarkable, to say the least that a man of proven human blood could keep pace with Inuyasha, only making the hanyou doubt his human decent. The fact that the blonde could run at all was impressive in and of itself, but for Deidara to run at the same speed of the half demon was unheard of.

Almost to noon, the pair had regained enough ground to almost reach their meeting point, only a few yards from the well. As Inuyasha smelled the age and decay of the various demon carcasses growing stronger, and he stepped up to reach it before Deidara, wanting a thorough inspection of it before confronting the man about it.

Standing back the blonde watched as Inuyasha circled the well with his nose to the grain like a bloodhound on a scent trail. Deidara guessed that such scent detection abilities stemmed from the same unnatural trait as the pointed ears, fangs and claws. It didn't strike the shinobi as odd, for in the world of ninja it is uncommon, rare even to see a lack of transformation in adults trained in the art of jutsus. _Inuyasha._ Though a bit self-important, the name said it all; Dog Demon, though Deidara was sure the Yasha suffix was metaphorical.

The wood lacked a fresh scent, the trail having gone cold in the span of time. Only the rot of wood and decay of bodies lingered. He looked back to the blonde and back to the well. A second sniff told that the stranger had in fact been here before, but had lost scent with age. Similar to the other foreign scent, what the hanyou presumed was Itachi's stink; it was slightly stronger, but not enough to suggest his presence recently. He had either left soon after his departure... or he was still on this side of the well.

Keeping his eye on the other man, Deidara folded his arms and leaned back against the largest tree in the clearing, looking rather apathetic considering his circumstance. He watched as again Inuyasha circled the well, smelling every possible nook and cranny to have utmost certainty with, well, whatever it was he was up to. Of course simply being near the well put the blonde man on edge, knowing that somewhere on the other side of that well, Itachi was lurking, plotting to launch another assault. The mere thought sent shivers down Deidara's spine; not the good kind either.

Satisfied with the search, Inuyasha rose and growled.

"He hasn't been here. Not since yesterday, but I can't tell if he crossed twice. His trail is too cold, but he's not nearby. Even so, you shouldn't go near the wolf tribe mountains, seeing as they're somehow involved. I'll need to tell the village about this, and I'll pay a visit to Kouga and figure this out."

Deidara nodded, deciding that it was in the best interest of his life-expectancy to not insert himself into yet another scandal. In response, the ninja only nodded, bringing himself away from the tree and getting ready to head out again.

"If you're done with your inspection then, you _did_ say something about a village un. I don't know about you, but a hot meal would do my stomach good, I'll even pay if you're short on funds un."

"I don't think that old bat will charge for a quick meal. But we need get a move on so we can find a spot for you. I wanna get to the mountains by tomorrow, and I won't do that if I don't leave by nightfall." Inuyasha stepped away and lead the way to the village, a few miles away.

Though the two men hustled and made excellent time towards the village, the journey was littered with awkward bits of conversation. It was rather like another mobile interrogation, all the way up the gates of the village. It was a quaint, farming village, the likes of which Deidara had not laid eyes on in ages. It was the type of little pueblo whose economy revolves around farming and artisan crafts. It was the kind of place where just about everything one could look at was an antique in its own right.

Inuyasha however walked his way through the huts towards one of the largest on the other side of the settlement, nodding to simply dressed villagers who greeted him. They seemed to hold him highly by their gracious tones and respectful gestures, stepping from his path long enough for them to pass, but quickly chattered and gossiped amongst themselves at the sight of a new stranger in their midst.

Deidara tried his best to pay the village peasants no heed as he passed by, but that's not to say that the gabbing of young women behind him escaped his hearing entirely. Their comments were mixed, ranging from startling theories about his origin to giggling prattle about his identity. Keeping himself stoic, the ninja kept his ears trained on his surroundings in the unlikely event that things should turn hostile.

He followed Inuyasha all the way up a narrow, dirt pathway to yet another round hut. The walls were made of what appeared to be made from long wooden planks, though the boards were severely warped and blackened with age. The roof was thatched and patched in several places with light colored adobe. The entire shanty was ringed by a creaky looking stoop and the doorway covered by a darkly colored rag worn threadbare by constant use.

Blinking with astonishment, Deidara almost stopped dead in his tracks as Inuyasha turned up the thin little ribbon of road up to the sagging cabin.

"You sure you've got the right place here un?"

Inuyasha paused at the doorframe, looking over his shoulder.

"She's lived here for over sixty years. If she's still alive, she's here. You in here, ya old bat?" The man pushed his way past the cloth doorway and looked about, finding the elderly woman hunched over a small pot warming on her fire. The old priestess hadn't changed much over the few years Inuyasha had seen her, the short, wide frame dressing in her traditional miko robes and a fresh patch over her damaged eye. She looked towards the door as the men entered and heaved a sigh.

"Yes, Inuyasha, I still live." She looked at the hanyou, glancing warily on his quest. "Who is your friend?"

"He came out of the well, Kaede, but he's not from Kagome's time. What the hell is going on?"

"He came from the well?" the elderly woman rubbed her chin as if the idea was taking a long while to process in her withered old skull, as it likely was. She looked over the newcomer with her one good eye, stroking her knobby, withered hands over her jaw, scrutinizing him from top to bottom. "His robes are of a strange design…" Her eye narrowed at Deidara who glared back in response, determined not to let the old fossil, however blessed by the gods of Shinto, to give him such a look.

"Of course my robes look strange to you un, but yours look pretty weird to me too, so we're even un."

Kaede looked herself over but dismissed the thought.

"Well if he is not form Kagome's time, then where? Inuyasha, I know as much about the Bone Eater's Well as you do. To my knowledge, only you and Lady Kagome could pass through, so this young man's arrival is as strange to me as it is to you."

"Oh it's not just him. I found another one dressed in the same robes, a hostile little prick. This one says the other has had some encounter with the wolf demon tribe, Kouga, remember him?"

"Ah, the young leader of the southern wolf tribe… didn't he marry and now controls the northern tribe as well?"

"Something like that, but that's not the point here. How are other-worlders using the well without the jewel? I mean, when Kagome and I had the final battle with Naraku, it was destroyed. That's why is became inactive, but now there are weirdoes just waltzing through it and causing a ruckus."

"Watch who you're calling a weirdo, dog boy un" Deidara let his fists clench for a moment before again relaxing his hands again. "If you ask me, the old woman here is the most _'normal'_ between either of us un, and she's only got one eye left in her head un," he retorted, motioning to the elderly priestess unapologetically.

"Indeed… why young man, how about you try to explain this situation to us. Hopefully you know more about this predicament then we do."

"Hey, all I know is I got dragged through that cursed pit and ended up in Antiquesville un. I know just as much as you do, so don't go barking up the wrong tree un."

"Well it seems at this time we need to talk to this other you've talked about, Inuyasha. Young man… firstly, what do you go by?"

"Deidara," he grunted.

"Well, Deidara-sama, we need to talk to this other person. It seems as he may know more about this."

The silver-hair grumbled, drawing her attention.

"I don't know if we'll get anything out of him. He's not the… sociable type. If there he's not willing to help figure this out, I'll gladly beat it out of him."

With a frown creasing his lips and a nod of solemn agreement, Deidara folded his arms.

"I have to agree with Inuyasha un, the chances of Itachi giving us any more information are slim to none un."

"Well I can't tell if he's still in this time or if he went back, so I'll have a little 'chat' with Kouga. You might want to stay here, Deidara. If you come, there'll probably be another fight with him, and it's better to have you out of the way. Kaede, can he stay with you?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold the phone un! I do not need babysitting un, least of ways by some haggard old woman un." The words had struck a proud nerve in Deidara's mind, making him grit every tooth in his body, all 128 of them.

"Whoa whoa hey, I 'm not gonna save you from getting your ass kicked again if you go with, so it's better if you stay here so she can keep an eye on you." The elder woman glared at the hanyou, but he overlooked the pun to glower at the stranger.

"Excuse me un? I am a full grown man un, not a damn deadweight. I am perfectly capable of defending myself against anything those woods of yours can cook up un." Ignoring Kaede's skeptical gaze and instead turned a scowl of his own to Inuyasha, showing the silver haired man his offense by his comment.

"Well you didn't exactly hold your own in that last fight, now did you? And we still don't know if you're trustworthy."

The woman of the room cleared her throat.

"You both have half plans that will get you nowhere. I agree that keeping Deidara out of the line of fire is reasonable, but having him away from the village seems more practical. With no offence, we don't know what kind of trouble will come looking for him if not only this 'Itachi' fellow. It might be best to find a remote location for him to stay in."

"What… like my place?" Inuyasha hadn't thought of the house in two and a half years since its construction. With the evil of Naraku destroyed, Inuyasha and his friends thought it appropriate to build him a permanent home, seeing as he had lived his life across the map and never truly had a place to go home to. With the comfy house erected, Inuyasha dreamed of a quiet life after Kagome's return, but put the quiet house in the back of his mind until her arrival. "I suppose we can stash him there. I haven't touched it in years, but I think it's still in good shape."

"Look un, I'm sure this place of yours is nice and all, great, good for you, but I'm telling you, you're not brushing me off that easily. I only took a beating in that battle with Itachi because of his eyes, I swear! They man has a kekegenkai in his eyes so that he can see what move you make before you make it. He's the _only_ guy who can take me on and win un, you just caught me in a moment of weakness." Deidara folded his arms across his chest, letting a frown crease his lips. Seeing no real reaction from his company to this proclamation, the frown on the ninja's face only deepened. "I can shave a few hours off of your travel time anyway. You'd be amazed how much faster it is to fly than to walk un."

"How do you except to fly? You may have mouths for hands, but I don't see any wings on you," Inuyasha snorted.

"Don't be so quick to judge un, you don't have any clue what I am capable of un." There was a haughty air to Deidara's voice, though it was simply the sound of his proud bone being struck. "If you'll let me, I'll show you exactly how I intend to fly un."

Inuyasha smirked and held the cloth door ajar for the stranger, allowing him and the elderly miko to pass through to the dirt main road.

"I'd love to see this."

"Stand back un," the blonde man ordered with a wave of his right hand to keep the other two behind him while he worked. Without so much as checking to be certain that they had obeyed his command, Deidara began to slowly undo the clasps that held his long black cloak shut. With the strange robe open, the ninja kept his back turned to his companions, deciding that not everything needed to be explained if his argumentative rescuer would simply write it off as voodoo magic again. Keeping this part of his work in a mystery for the most part, Deidara used his left hand to unzip one of twin dun bags buckled around his hips. He dipped his hand into the bag and took in a quick mouthful of a crumbly white powder.

With a smirk plastered on his lips, the blonde ninja allowed the teeth inside of his palm to chew the substance liberally until it made a thick, malleable constituent. Spitting the gob of moist white dough into the palm of his hand, Deidara worked the goo rapidly with his fingers before holding a small white bird, sculpted from clay in the center of his hand, holding it up for his companions to see.

The elderly woman gazed at the small object, admiring its detail. Deidara smiled, and with a small surge of chakra gave the little bird movement, its wings flittering ever so slightly. She retracted her hand quickly and the shinobi smirked. Inuyasha had watched and snorted.

"So how are we supposed to ride on that-"

"Shut your mouth and watch will you un?" Deidara hissed, keeping his voice down though clearly annoyed that Inuyasha had broken the quiet that allowed him to hear the tiny beating of his sculpture's wings. Letting out a long sigh, the ninja suddenly became very serious and clapped his hands together loudly in the zodiac sign of the ox. "Kure bodai no jutsu!" he declared aloud. Instantly there was a loud popping sound as smoke rushed from the small fluttering bird to fill the air around them.

Inuyasha and Kaede both covered their mouths with their flowing sleeves to avoid choking on the cloud of white smoke while it fizzled. The smokescreen gradually lifted, aided by the gentle summer breeze that wafted through the air. In place of the small bird that had been floating around them only moments before, there was a massive snow-white falcon made of clay just barely airborne and carrying a grinning Deidara on its back.

As the two others stared at the large bird, it stopped its hover and landed, shaking out its large wings and tucking them neatly back. Its rider only smiled wildly, taking in their awe. Kaede stepped back cautiously, drawing her arm protectively over her face, muttering about the monstrosity of the thing, but out of curiosity, the hanyou drew closer. Reaching out a cautious hand, Inuyasha tried to touch the blank side of the bird, but its head snapped to his touch. Inu jumped, but held his hand still, letting the creature examine his fingers.

"Do you like my art un?" the ninja called down from his perch on the falcon's back, startling Inuyasha out of his curious, trance-like examination of the beast. The white bird shook its head the way a dog does to clear the water from its ears, an action that might have resembled the fluffing of feathers had the sculpture been so detailed. The creature went still as Deidara placed a hand firmly on its back and spread his fingers using a minute flow of chakra to control the movements of his creation. Almost mechanically, the bird lowered its head to the ground, forming a bridge with its smooth, snowy neck. "Well? We're burning daylight un, climb aboard un!"

Inuyasha grumbled but ultimately gripped the clay neck and pulled himself up. With careful maneuvering, he sat himself behind the birds' master, settling into the firm clay. The old woman nodded approvingly and stepped back as the dust was unsettled by the flapping of the great wings.

"Alright un," Deidara almost had to shout to be heard over the beating of his sculpture's enormous wings. "I have no idea where we're going un, so gimme a direction and tell me when to stop okay un?" The ninja prodded his sculpture in what would have been the clavicle with his heels, causing the falcon to rise high enough off of the ground to allow the dust to settle below.

Looking at the sun, a few hours had passed since noon, and with quick figuring, Inuyasha threw out a hand in the general direction of the mountains.

"That way for a while," the hanyou shouted. "We need to go that way until we hit the mountains. Then it'll be a climb from the bottom!"

The bird lurched into action beneath them, diving slightly if only to gain the speed needed to bank in the direction of Inuyasha's pointing. The hanyou could feel his stomach drop, the sudden movement giving him a horrible feeling of falling for a moment before the clay creature leveled out and began soaring towards the southern mountains. With the wind rushing in his sensitive ears, the hanyou almost didn't hear Deidara's protest against climbing up the side of the mountain when they were already flying.

As it was, the pair flew off form the quaint little village, heading for the mountains of the Wolf Demon tribe, and hopefully, to some answers.


	3. A Visit to an Old Enemy

Chapter 3

A Visit to an Old Enemy

Wind swirled through the thick tresses of Inuyasha's hair as he and the blonde stranger continued their travel to the destination of the Wolf Mountains. There had been little talk on the way, having too much static form the wind to carry on in any kind of conversation. Inuyasha had dug him claws into the soft flesh of the clay stead, but it had not flinched hours before when he had stabbed it, and it didn't seem to encumber its master's energy.

The mountains loomed very close ahead now, and had the range been traveling north to south, surely the two would be traveling in the shadows of the peaks by now. Deidara looked over his shoulder at his riding companion, attracting the half demon's attention enough for an exchange of looks to take place. Even without words, the two men were able to communicate through subtle movements, through which the ninja was even able to learn from Inuyasha where on the mountainside he would be able to land so as to put them down as close to the wolf tribe as possible.

The trees were thick closest to wolf demon territory, so the bird couldn't touch down directly in the center of their camp. This was likely a good thing, however, as the alighting of a monstrously large falcon in the middle of their home might alarm the forest dwellers. Instead, the bird landed less than half a mile from the wolf camp in a tiny clearing just wide enough to accommodate for the sculpture's wingspan.

As the men dismounted the bird, they looked about themselves. As Deidara only looked upwards towards their climb, Inuyasha looked over the edge of their ledge. The few trees around them covered their small shelf in the mountainside, and looking down, Inuyasha could see the glow of fires inside the thick of the trees below.

"Couldn't have possibly made this place a little bit easier to get to un?" Deidara snorted aimlessly narrowing is eyes at the flickering orange light coming from the campfire the tribe on the mountainside had lit. With a resolute grunt, the ninja gave his companion a slight nudge with his elbow, prompting him to follow as he began up the side of the mountain towards the wolf demon's encampment.

As Deidara climbed up the almost sheer side of the mountain, Inuyasha passed him, having experience in climbing with his razor claws and took the lead to find the next shelf in the mountain face. As he hauled himself over, he waited a few moments for the other man to appear on the edge. Inuyasha held out a hand, and surprised Deidara took it and pulled himself up. With the two men standing once more, Inuyasha leaned out and pointed to a thin walkway leading up. He took the lead and Deidara walked behind him, leaning hard against rock, fearing the promised death of the fall.

They clung to the crag with their fingers as the pair inched their way up the narrow ribbon of a trail, weaving through a hairy series of switchbacks while they climbed higher still. Suddenly a hiss came from Inuyasha's left side as Deidara looked back down the side of the mountain to see two men emerging from the trees below out onto the rocky outcrop, followed by three large brown wolves who pressed their noses to the ground, filling their senses with the foreign scents of the strangers on their land. The ninja froze in his tracks, pressing his back into the cliff as much as he could but refusing to activate his chakras for fear of giving away their position entirely.

The eyes of the wolves reflected the pale orange of the sunset above, making them appear even more savage. However the animals seemed to be at a loss, being unable to find the odor trail of the invaders once the two men had reached the base of the next ledge. The canines circled below with their snouts in the dirt, whining to their comrades about the lost scent.

Inuyasha glared down at them and contemplated his plan. Now the wolf lackeys, he could handle. He wasn't their enemy by any means, but wolf demons wouldn't welcome anyone, friend or foe, in the nearing twilight inside their territory. Inuyasha smirked at the thought of a quick fight with the five, but looking at his footing, he decided on continuing the quiet climb and find the wolf leader himself. He nudged Deidara and stepped slowly.

The blonde man gave him a silent nod and followed, picking his way carefully up the crags behind his cohort. The tow managed to get a fair way up the side of the face of the cliff it seemed, perhaps gaining another fifteen vertical feet. Suddenly the wind shifted, causing the two men's baggy clothing to be pulled at. Inuyasha had to move his foot to keep his balance, but in doing so, a small piece of the pathway was pulled loose and leaped down the side of the sheer rock. The hanyou sucked in a deep breath as below all five heads snapped up the side of the cliff to see the unwelcomed visitors trespassing on their territory. The largest of the brown wolves threw its head back and let out a low howl, sounding an almost mournful alarm while the other two animals began to scramble up the narrow trail after the invaders.

Inuyasha growled and leapt outward, sliding down to meet the group. The wolves instantly were on him, but he knocked them aside, careful to not push them to their dooms over the edge. As he struggled with them, the men accompanying the canines worked their way up to meet the blonde. Inuyasha saw this and wrestled one of their brothers down, letting it yelp for help. It attracted them, and Inuyasha smirked.

"Might wanna come back to talk to me if you want this pup to see the morning."

Both of the pelt-clad men gritted their teeth and glared at the attacking invader, the hairs on the backs of their scruffy necks standing on end like raised hackles while one of the tribe members even growled low in his throat. Not willing to negotiate with a trespasser, but also not wishing to see the death of any companion, the ruffians acted quickly, one taking a hold of Deidara's arm while the other seized the ninja by the throat. The shinobi gasped, but fell still as he felt one of his attacker's claws press into the soft flesh of his neck, threatening to cut his gullet open.

"I could stay the same to you, trespasser. Make one wrong move and I'll snap his neck!" the tribe man snarled, never taking his eyes off of Inuyasha.

There was a thick silence, but as the tribal men stared at the hanyou, they froze at his icy stare back. His arm was wrapped tightly around the neck of one wolf, his free hand gripping tightly to the muzzle of another, and his legs holding the last in a chokehold. He had three of their comrades under control, and they gulped hard as Inuyasha dared a smile.

"I don't think you need to worry about me now… I'll just hang onto your buddies here so I don't get bit, but you two…" Inu chuckled. "You two are done for it now. Think you can handle this, kid?"

There was a quiet rumbling in the stone was, almost as if the crag was threatening to collapse, but the low sound stopped as a few stones fell from above. Ears rotating upwards slightly, the two wolf demons looked up the crag to see the man they could have sworn was still firmly in their grasp crouching not ten feet above on yet another stretch of the path. Deidara smirked down at the pelt-clad men watching as the pair looked back to the man in their hands. One of the wolf demons yelped as he felt his hand sink into what at first had appeared to be the shinobi's arm. It was not at all flesh he was grabbing, but more the consistency of quicksand, holding the wolf-demon's hand captive like flypaper.

The clay decoy shivered and slumped slightly, its head falling to the side slightly as slowly it began to bubble and expand. Yanking at their hands was futile as the two scruffy males only managed to get pulled in deeper while the clay body swelled around their limbs, threatening to swallow them both. Above the duo, Deidara smiled down at his handiwork, feeling quite satisfied by the power of his unstoppable art.

Letting go of his captives, the wolves scampered from under Inuyasha's grip to their comrades, and they too became ensnared in the trap as they tried to aid. Deidara chuckled form his perch, and Inuyasha dusted himself off.

"Wrap it up there. We don't need the attention."

"You can't be serious un." Deidara muttered back, looking down at his trapped victims as the five struggled vainly to escape the still expanding clay. "Here I thought you were allies with them, seems like such a waist to kill them un." The ninja shook his head disapprovingly, a frown turning his lips down slightly.

"Not death, idiot. Just knock them out and hide them." The hanyou growled and cracked his knuckles. "No need for any casualties tonight."

"Just give 'em each a good smack to the head with a rock un, that'll knock them out un" Deidara gave a curt snort before nimbly sliding down the crag on his heels to stand on the far side of the writhing bunch. "As for hiding them, just ditch them in a tree, they can climb down when they come to un." That being said, the ninja quickly pulled a large rock from the face of the cliff and struck one of the wolves on the crown causing the canine to yelp and fall still.

Inuyasha cringed at the yelp and snatched to stone from his hand.

"Forget it. Let's just move out quickly, 'cause they've heard us already." He threw the rock of the side, letting it crack through the limbs onto the bustle of awoken clan members. There was a rumble of commotion as the glow of their fires multiplied and grew closer to the bottom of the mountain, and Inuyasha huffed, digging his claws into the rock again and hauling himself to the next shelf.

With a quiet curse to himself, Deidara looked over his shoulder down the dizzying fall the gathering throng many, many feet below, the lights of torches like the bright red butts of swarming fire ants. Digging his fingers into every crevice he could reach, the shinobi followed quickly after Inuyasha, climbing several ledges until they reached the next shelf, nearly one hundred feet above their starting altitude.

Searching above their heads, the elder man spotted their target as numerous heads poked out from the main camp several feet above them. There were about four that growled and barked ferociously at the intruders, but as Inuyasha glared them down, a familiar face stood out.

"HEY, that you Ginta?" the hanyou howled. "Go get Kouga before I have to kick someone's ass!"

The young demon man nodded and disappeared, curious glances following his departure.

Deidara looked confusedly at the man standing by his side on the ledge, but decided that it was neither the time nor the place to be questioning him about his connections. The ninja's brow knitted as he stared up at the cliff overhead, the crowd of savages seeming to part as the heads peeping over the edge retracted albeit reluctantly. The faces were replaced as one man stood on the verge of the ledge, his toes curling over the jagged rock as he looked down the stony incline at the intruders. His features were mostly hidden from view at the strange angle, but the long pony tail tied up on the back of his head stood out like a beacon in the wind.

"What the fuck are you doing on my land, dog-shit?" The new man growled, folding his arms and pinning the intruders in his ice-blue gaze.

"Call your lackeys off, and who you calling 'dog shit'?" Inuyasha balled his fists and shook it at the leader. "If I didn't need to talk with you, I'd come up there and kick your ass!"

The dark haired purebred laughed and whistled to this troops.

"Back to your posts, I'll handle the intruders!" he called. The other members of the tribe grumbled but obediently backed away, leaving room for the two to continue upward. As they reached the top, Inuyasha climbed over the side himself, but Ginta walked again to the edge to lend a hand to Deidara. The blonde ignored it and pulled himself up, regaining his composure before facing the Wolf Clan leader and his posse.

The dark haired man looked over the human in his midst with narrowed eyes as if scrutinizing him coldly. The wolf demon's nose crinkled slightly before a wide smirk twisted half his mouth upward.

"What brings you back to the wolf tribe blondie? You know Itachi came looking for you. I told him it was none of my business if you wanted to high-tail it out of here. What was it you said? You couldn't stand the _stink of us filthy savages_ hm?"

"Not my problem anymore Koda un," the blonde retorted, narrowing his eyes in return. "I'm just here with Inuyasha for some answers un, and you better spill 'em, wouldn't want to get on Itachi's bad side would you un? He's got a lot stronger allies than you, of that I am certain un." The ninja folded his arms resolutely, his face as still as if it were carved from stone. He only hoped in the pit of his stomach that the clan leader wouldn't call his bluff.

The demon snorted, his cohorts assuring the human that there was no one greater than the demon leader himself. Kouga smirked and waved his minions along, muttering that he had it covered.

"So how the hell did you got all mixed into this, Inu-baka? Sticking your nose in where it's not wanted again?"

The hanyou growled.

"Hey, that Itachi guy attacked me, I was just defending him," gesturing to Deidara. "I wasn't gonna watch him get beat to a pulp."

Kouga's eyes narrowed and shifted to meet Deidara's.

"So he got after you, did he? Didn't think he was that riled up. He only seemed mildly peeved at you running off."

"Nah, he wasn't that pissed, didn't use his genjutsu or anything un. He just gets his kicks out of kicking me un; I've had worse. What am I supposed to do about it anyway, right un? Now way in hell I can compete with those eyes un… least of ways without killing him un, and wouldn't that be tragic un?" The blonde grunted slightly, looking off to his left as if glaring at the glow of the campfire. "Not about to burn my life away just to keep from getting a few black eyes un… not for Itachi… I've got to save that for something real special un, you know… nothing short of limelight un."

"Yeah you got it rough with that one. I don't envy you for a second." Kouga replied with a curt nod. Though the blonde shinobi hadn't spent much time in the wolf camp, every demon in the pack who had laid eyes on the pair of ninja could tell that there was something wrong about them. It was like the eerie lack of emotions that seemed to hang between them. The way Itachi was the clear aggressor, threatening and hurting his partner until he bent to the raven haired man's will.

The leader led them to his den, passing by the eyeing pack members. It was warm in the cave and busy with activity. Several of the tribe members huddled in groups and some attention was diverted for the new guests, but ultimately everything continued as normal. Kouga walked to the back of the cave into a large nest where he sat and motioned for them to join. Inuyasha grunted but eventually squatted near him, Deidara setting on the hanyou's other side.

"Look Koda, Inuyasha's got some questions about Itachi and the well and all that fancy hoo-hah, but when I tried to explain it all to him, he didn't believe a word I said, if he even paid attention un." Deidara gave the hanyou a look of irritation over his shoulder, but the jibe was ignored for the most part. "Think you can answer some of his questions un?" The ninja looked over to his tense counterpart and nudged him gently with his index finger. "You'd listen to what Koda says, wouldn't you un? That's why we came all the way out here un."

The wolf demon growled impatiently.

"First of all it's Kouga, leader of the Wolf Demon Clan. Kouga, idiot! Second of all… what?"

"I wanna know how others got in the well, baka," Inuyasha snorted. "They came through the well, but they're not form Kagome's time… but I bet you already knew that."

The raven hair grimaced and crossed his arms.

"I don't know anything much about that well, mutt. All I knew was you and Kagome could go through it. But after I got word that she was gone and hadn't been seen… I waited for her, don't get me wrong. But…" He huffed and glared at Inuyasha. "I figured out that after a year she wasn't coming back. Now I'm leader of both Northern and Southern tribe, and I got too much on my plate. But before I took on both tribes… I visited the well a few times myself."

"And that's when you met Itachi-san, am I right un?" Deidara said, hunching his shoulders and resting his elbows on his knees so as to be more comfortable. "But did you go down the well first or was it Itachi who came through the well un?"

"I've never been down that death trap. I've got too much to worry about here. But like I said, I took a look at the well a few times myself, and about the third time I got there… he was just standing there. Looking about with this real fierce look in his eyes. I stepped up, and we battled it out. It was a draw."

Suddenly Deidara's eyes narrowed and a wide smirk spread across his lips as he leaned back with his hands resting on the pelt behind him.

"So… he whipped your ass pretty good didn't he un?" The ninja tilted his head to the side smugly, knowing he was right. Itachi didn't just let things end in a draw, chances were most likely that the Uchiha had used his genjutsu to torment the wolf tribe leader until he agreed to some kind of service contract.

Kouga smirked.

"Not as hard as he whips yours, Deidara."

The ninja frowned severely and turned away, a growl of peevish annoyance humming in the back of his throat at the mention of an imaginably tender subject.

"That's not any business of yours un, so I suggest you drop it…" His brow furrowing, the blonde turned to his host, his expression an impossible to read mixture of glee and bloodlust. "… Before I get mad hm."

"Whatever bitch…" Kouga muttered. "Anyway, so he wandered about and I didn't stop him. He sort of followed me back here, but didn't seem too keen on hanging around a bunch of demons. Can't say I blame him, a mean he is human after all. But I didn't see him for a while, then a few weeks ago he said he was going into the mountains to the north for some weird reason, and told me he needed a favor. I promised nothing, but a few days ago he shows up here with you and tell me to watch over you till he gets back. He owes me still, by the way. Tell him just because you ran off doesn't mean he can break his promise."

"Kuso…" Deidara groaned hanging his head and burying his fingers in his own long golden locks with frustration. "Leave it to Itachi-bastard to go around making deals and treating me like a damn child un." The ninja's shoulders slumped visibly and he turned his face toward the ground, his eyes closed and his lips turned downward. "You're not getting jack-squat from Itachi un, I can tell you that now… not a snowball's chance un."

"Well I could right now, technically. You are here in my den, and he said as long as you were here, you were mine."

Inuyasha froze as the words slipped from Kouga's lips.

"What! That asshole is selling out his comrade?"

"That was our deal. He said if I could hang onto him, he was mine until he got back. Now I told him I wasn't all for that, but-"

"Is that so un?" Deidara was on his feet in an instant, glaring down at the wolf demon with a look of malice; both the other men could hear the furious grinding of every tooth in the blonde man's body. In the dim light of the campfire, the shinobi's crystalline blue eyes seemed to shine with pure, immeasurable rage. "Said that did he un? HA! Itachi needs to stop making such promises that he surely can't fulfill un…" With scorn and fury burning passionately in his eyes, the blonde leaned forward until his face was so close to the fire that he was staring through the flames at Kouga like a devil. "As if I would ever do such a thing with filthy lowlife savage like you un."

"Like I said, I ain't into that, so I told him he would need another kind of payment, so he said he'd figure it out. Don't flatter yourself, bitch."

Inuyasha's eyes flitted back and forth between the two as they glared down each other, and finally he had to cut in.

"What the fuck are you two going on about?"

Kouga looked annoyed to the half-breed, but seeing his honest confusion, his eyes softened.

"You... you didn't- heh. Deidara. You didn't tell him, did you?" There was silence between them all, until Kouga had to laugh. "Why don't you tell Inuyasha what relationship you and Itachi have?"

The blonde's eyes shifted quickly away, and he lost his firm stance against him. The demon smirked.

"Fine, I'll tell him. Deidara isn't only Itachi's teammate, he is his bitch."

"Put ever so eloquently Koda-san… aaaaaaarigato un" the ninja said practically deflating, returning to hanging his head and burying his hands in his hair. "Baka, baka, baka" the youngest man continued to groan. "Didn't you understand the meaning behind 'certain relationship of a rather one-sided nature' uuuun?"

"Can you say 'certain relationship of a floor-mat uke'?"

The two went at it again, shouting out as Inuyasha sat in silence.

_He…he's Itachi's…..__**lover**__?_ Inuyasha shook his head and banished the thought. No way, too weird. Too much for one day.

"Ok, whatever, so how did he get here?" Inuyasha grunted.

Kouga stopped midsentence and shrugged.

"Beats me. Ask him."

"I've already told him once un, he won't listen to me." Deidara finally sat back down, crossing his legs Indian style and leaning forward on his elbows, glaring into the flames of the campfire. With a sour look on his face, the ninja leaned his cheek against one fist while he used the other hand to prod at an unburned branch in the fire.

"He told me he just crossed over, but that well only leads to Kagome's time in the 20th century. We're in the 15th. That what Kagome told me." Inuyasha glanced over to the sulking blonde. "He doesn't know how it works either, so it seems as Itachi is the only one."

"What's there to know un? You jump down a hole in the _**18**__**th**_ century, and pop back up 250 years in the past un, couldn't be simpler right un? I mean the mechanics of it isn't something I'd want to have to figure out, but I know how to use it hm." With a smoldering stick in hand, Deidara began to prod the embers absently, watching the burning sparks dance upwards from the flames before winking out one by one. Inuyasha's eyebrow rose.

"Uh, it's the 20th."

"No baka, it's the 18th, I think I know what time period I live in."

"20th."

"_18th!_"

"_**20th!**_"

Deidara leaned in as Inuyasha did and both yelled senselessly until Kouga barked.

"Enough! I think I get it." Both fell silent. "I figured it out. Kagome hasn't come back because the well isn't set to her time. If he's from 18 and she's from 20… then… wait I'm lost." Kouga scratched his head. Time-travel wasn't his strong suit.

"…Then that means the well can connect this time to more than one other, just not in tandem un," Deidara finished off, rubbing the round of his chin as if he was deep in thought. "Not sure what benefit anyone would have from doing such a thing unless they had something against the 20th century un, but I suppose it's the only theory you've got, isn't it un?" Eyeing his two companions, the blonde made a rather smug face, proud to the umpteenth degree of his _far superior_ intelligence.

Inuyasha mumbled and Kouga shrugged.

"What I don't get is how you two got through," the silver-hair said. "I mean Kagome did with the jewel, and I… well I still didn't figure that one out. But how did the well let you two through?"

"Well I don't know anything about this circle you keep on about un, but from what I can see, you have a very firm grasp of your inner power, call it energy, chakra or whatever you will, and ninja are trained in the art of chakra control, so I don't see why it can't be related to concentration of power un." Deidara suddenly let out a scoff of laughter. "Unfortunately for you Koda, that must mean you suck at controlling your chakras un, otherwise getting though would be a snap un."

"_Kouga_, baka, and it's not like I've tried. I don't want to go to some other nasty world. I'm happen to like mine just fine, you dumb bitch."

"Alright, sheesh, _Kouga_, 'cause that sounds so much better than Koda, you happy now un?" The ninja growled in exasperation, frowning at the man across the fire. Lethargically Deidara looked over to the hanyou by his side, frowning and muttering "you see why I ditched this place un? I can't stand this guy's fat head un."

Inuyasha had to snicker at that but soon lost it as his thoughts lingered back to the enchanted portal. If the well was set to another time… then his hopes of Kagome coming back…

Seeing the shift in the silver haired man's demeanor, Deidara sighed and gave the hanyou a squeeze on the shoulder with his open palm.

"So did you get all your questions answered, or do we need to stick around here a little longer un? It's all up to you hm, but if you haven't got anything else you wanna ask this guy, then I'd like to get the hell outa dodge un." The ninja sat up, bending his knees and resting his forearms comfortably on top of them.

The hanyou slowly pushed the hand away and stared at Kouga.

"So this is all you know then, right? Nothing else I should know going down about that well?"

"Like I said, dog-breath, you know more about it than me. I just know what I saw. They came out of that well, not Kagome. Now that all? If you stick around for much longer, your stink is gonna stick and run us out."

"This coming from the wolf zealot who lives in a cave and smells like wet fur and leather un? As if the smell of hygiene could possibly overpower such a wreak un" Deidara scoffed rising to his feet. "Come on Inuyasha un, let's beat it before we catch this guy's _stupid_ hm."

To that, Kouga leaped up and snarled at the impudent ninja.

"You better watch your mouth, filthy human! You're in my home and I'll not be spoken to as such! I'll have your hide tanned and crafted into a new belt for you cheek!"

But running up to the group came a Mohawked wolf demon, bursting in loudly.

"Kouga-sama, we have a situation!"

The ponytailed man grunted as he turned to him.

"What is it now, Hakaku? Pups fall in the river again?"

"No boss… I think you'll wanna take a look at this."

The leader of the wolf tribe sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed the tips of his eyebrows with his fingertips, sighing in exasperation. He quit the scene after his comrade, the two other men following cautiously behind so as to see that all the ruckus was about, seeing as they were on their way already.

Just outside the cave there was a clamoring of men all huddled around some commotional epicenter, arguing, shouting and toiling away. The clan leader gasped and rushed to the aid of his men in an instant. The throng cleared for the most part as the alpha appeared on the scene, revealing the source of the riot to be what appeared to be a bunch of upwards of eleven men of the wolf tribe all wriggling and fighting to escape from the sticky clay trap Deidara had laid earlier. Seeing the mas of ensnared tribesmen, the ninja didn't know whether to cringe or to laugh aloud, but either way he had to interfere. The blonde took a hold of Kouga's tail, giving it a sharp pull to get the leader's attention.

"Don't touch that shit un," the ninja scolded, "that's sticky clay, you'll get just as stuck as they are, and there's no getting out if it with all of your skin and hair."

"Well what are we supposed to so then, throw them in the river?" Hakaku grumbled.

"Sure… if you want them to all drown." Inuyasha snapped back.

"Actually that's right," Deidara interrupted. All eyes wandered to him and he shrunk in the spotlight. "Well yeah, the clay will melt away in water, so the river sounds like your best option."

"You hear him men," called out their fearless leader. "Roll them to the river!"

"WHAT?" Deidara shouted, "I didn't say '_roll them to the river_' un! That sounds like a _horrible_ idea un! You'll snap someone's neck that way un!" It was too late however, Kouga was already leading the charge, rolling the sticky ball of his comrades down the side of the mountain. Unable to believe his own eyes, Deidara was after them in a heartbeat with Inuyasha hot on his heels. "Wait un! The fuck do you think you're doing you pointy-eared bastard un?"

But before he could get ahead of the pack, a clawed hand reached out and snatched him by the collar of his cloak.

"Whoa kid, don't waste your breath," Inu grunted as he pulled the blonde back. "Kouga's got an idea in his head, so there's no stopping him. It's time to start heading…" he trailed off as he looked to the magenta skyline. "Aw shit… well it's not good traveling in the dark. We might wanna set up camp… a little further from the pack, though."

Looking back towards the pack of clansmen rolling the wad of gooey clay and foolish comrades down the side of the mountain, Deidara sighed and relented.

"Fine un, of course I could have us back to the village we came from before daybreak un if you'd rather pull an all-nighter flying un. No promises that I don't fall asleep midair and send us for a nosedive though…" The ninja looked at his own two feet and scratched his index finger at the tip of his chin. "You know what un, you're right, it'd be best to set up camp for the night soon un."

Giving the hanyou a sheepish grin over his shoulder, Deidara shrugged and motioned for his companion to lead the way.

But as the pair jumped past clan member bystanders, a particular duo made their presence known by their boorish squawking and overdramatic waving of their arms. Deidara stopped and watched the pair freaking over something. It was the wolf demons Ginta and Hakaku, fussing over Ginta's face. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, the blonde turned and walked quickly over through demons staring at the spectacle.

"What are you saying, Ginta? I can't- you've got to open your mouth, baka! Quit flailing about, will ya and tell me what's wrong!" Hakaku growled at his partner, but the younger of the two continued yelling through closed lips and waving his arms wildly.

"Kami above un!" the ninja hissed, finally standing beside the duo, "he's gotten that shit in his mouth, hasn't he un?" The blonde growled and kneeled by the side of the panicking wolf demon, giving Hakaku a forceful shove to get the man out of his way growling "move stupid, you're in the way un." Without hesitation, Deidara took a hold of Ginta's chin with his left hand, yanking the man's jaw until he turned his head so that the ninja could better look at him. With a frown creasing his lips, the shinobi pressed his thumb and forefinger into the tribesman's cheeks, until his lips parted enough to reassure that the sticky clay was the culprit. Deidara growled with annoyance, his brow furrowing as he turned the man's head to the side again, causing Ginta to let out a muffled yelp.

"Look, stupid, you got sticky clay in your mouth and there ain't any getting it out the way it came in, you got that un." The wolf demon whined and jerked away from the ninja's grasp, his jaw working furiously as if chewing at the substance could clear it away. "Would you quit moving and listen to me un?" the ninja snapped, "I'm trying to help you damnit un."

Ginta settled a bit and Hakaku couldn't help himself but look over Dei's shoulder.

"Why the fuck you tried to eat this shit I'll-"

"He was trying to lick it off of them, baka!" the wolf snorted.

Deidara sighed.

"Of course he did. Stupid heathens… ok now look, what was your name un?"

"Ginta," added the demon.

"Right, well Ginta, you're gonna have to try to swallow it. If you do so then you'll get more spit in your mouth un, and it will wash away, got it? I know it tastes gross, but it's eat it or starve un."

The demon whined and looked up at Deidara with eyes that pleaded for an alternate solution; anything but swallowing that stuff. Then ninja only frowned slightly more and shook his head disparagingly.

"Come on, do what the guy says Ginta," Hakaku encouraged his comrade with a gentle nudge. "The sooner you get rid of that stuff the sooner we can eat some real food, okay?" Ginta nodded timidly and screwed his eyes shut, giving the terrible glue in his mouth a good, hard swallow. "There you go. Not too horrible now is it." The suffering demon shot a furious glare at his counterpart as if to inform him that is was dreadful.

"Oh come off it, man up and get it over with hm. The less time I have to spend here babying you, the better un." Seeing the pathetic look on the wolf demon's face while he took another swallow at the clay, Deidara sighed and put his hand over Ginta's, electing to show the man a little compassion.

Inuyasha eventually joined them and watched from a few feet away, not wanting any part of the rescue.

After a few more hard swallows Ginta's mouth popped open and he gasped, letting his thick tongue hang out.

"Uuuhhh at' thit as' asty!" the victim groaned. "Akaku, ater." His comrade nodded and hurried off for a drink, leaving Deidara to inspect the demon's mouth for any residue.

Grasping at the other man's chin again, the blonde pulled down on Ginta's jaw to open it and look inside.

"Everything looks good in here un," Deidara grunted. Though it was dark and he could barely see anything to begin with, the ninja decided that it would most likely make the poor man feel much more at ease to know that his mouth was clean. Giving the man his jaw back, the blonde squatted in front of him for a moment to be assured that the tribesman was going to be fine. With an apologetic smile, Deidara rose to his feet and extended a hand downward towards Ginta, offering to help him to his feet.

The younger of the pair of yokai took the hand and pulled himself up, dusting off his pelt and readjusting his armor.

"Yuck... thanks. I was trying to clean off the wolves and this- well you know already. My name's Ginta." As his comrade returned, Ginta gestured to him. "That's Hakaku. Thanks for the drink." Hakaku had his palms cupped together and filled with water, which he hesitantly let his partner drink from.

"Alright Ginta… c-come on, your fine. Quit." As the man finished, Hakaku flicked the remaining moisture away and dried his hands quickly.

Deidara grimaced slightly, but shrugged it off as a kind of pack-mentality bonding he was simply unaccustomed to. The blonde grunted and nodded to the rescued wolf demon.

"Looks like you're fine now, you must have a strong stomach un." Giving Ginta a reassuring clap on the shoulder, he continued. "Your body might not like that clay though, it's pretty nasty stuff un. You could feel sick for the next few days and your digestive system might be a little bit abnormal, but it should pass un… It's funny…" Deidara leaned back and looked at the tribesman as if comparing Ginta to himself. "The first time I ate that stuff, I puked hm…"

At the mention of hurling, Ginta groaned and rubbed his abdomen.

"H-how long does this stuff stay? Uh I'm getting sick already…"

"That's a good thing un," Deidara replied curtly, "If your body tried to process it, you might be sick for a week. If you can puke and get it out of your system now, then you'll ease your suffering in the long run un." With a slight grimace, the ninja patted Ginta reassuringly on the back, as if encouraging him to wretch.

Taking the tip, the young wolf yokai bent over and groaned. Hakaku joined Deidara's side and watched his comrade, glancing worriedly between the two of them. After a few heaves Ginta began gagged and glob of the sticky clay plopped onto the ground. Hakaku quickly took dirt and poured it on top of the blob and cautiously poked it. The dust had in fact conquered the adhesive and he happily tossed it over the side of the ledge.

Deidara winced and took his palm away from Ginta, allowing the other man to shiver and recover from his moment of illness. It was strange, going so far out of his way to aid another; the ninja hadn't done so in so long he had nearly forgotten the feeling. So far away from the rest of the Akatsuki and the world in which he was slave to the devil, the blonde felt as if some weight was off of his back and he could let himself be kind again. He didn't let the sentiment show through though, and kept a very professional appearance about himself, as if through apathy he earned respect.

This whole time Inuyasha stood off to the side, and evaluated the action. Clearly this man wasn't like his violent counterpart. He was at least capable of simple kindness, and that was a start.

"You gonna live, Ginta?" the dog half-breed called.

The sickly demon nodded before heaving again, Hakaku grimacing beside him.

There was an awkwardly open pause as all three men around the ill wolf demon shifted uneasily, not knowing whether Ginta was through purging his system or if he needed more time. Finally Deidara sighed and gave the tribesman a more firm clap on the back as if encouraging him to recover more quickly.

"Come on, you're okay now un. Walk it off, it will make your stomach feel better un." Ginta shivered, but straightened his back, still clutching his churning stomach. Though he still felt ill, the wolf demon was able to obey the ninja's suggestion and take a few tentative steps before turning back to the blonde and giving him a grateful look.

"Thanks… uh… what did you say your name was again?"

"I didn't un…" Deidara retorted, letting his shoulders relax and blinking at the other man.

"Oh…" Ginta looked down for a moment, slightly dejectedly, the very tip of his tail twitching.

"Deidara un…" the ninja reluctantly gave away his identity, seeing the tribesman's face lighten up if only a little, the blonde couldn't help but let his lips turn ever so slightly upward.

"Well Deidara, thanks," Ginta mumbled.

"Even though it's your fault in the first place," Hakaku huffed. The ill wolf grinned, letting his dimples sink in. Inu couldn't help but snort at the comment, sliding his hands into his sleeves.

As the men stood about, a female wolf nosed her way behind Ginta and rubbed against his leg, having smelled his sickness and followed to comfort. Ginta smiled and cooed to her, squatting next to her and scratching her scruff lovingly.

"So Deidara, how did you make that stuff?"

The ninja couldn't help but smile, letting a little of his pride show through, his technique was very artful after all.

"It's a special mixture of clays and chakra un. The stuff isn't easy to dig up and refine of course un, but once it's mixed right it can be made into the ultimate tool, or weapon." Deidara pulled his outer robe back slightly at the hip, showing one of his two side bags full of clay, unzipping it and pulling out a few fingers full of crumbly white powder. "I mix it with chakra by chewing it with my hands and then when its wet enough, I can sculpt it into whatever I like un."

"What's chaka?" Hakaku asked, also patting the female on her head, making the wolf whine pleasantly.

Deidara sighed, not wanting to explain the whole concept of chakra, he decided that a demonstration was more appropriate. His hands came together very quickly in the zodiac symbol of the ox before changing to that of the rooster and then several others far too quickly to be seen properly. When his hands had formed upwards of seven different seals, he finally stopped and lifted his right foot, placing it firmly on the ground in a kind of power stance. The foot rotated abruptly, Deidara's heel sliding outward and all of a sudden the ground slipped out from underneath Inuyasha, causing the half demon to lose his footing completely and topple to his side with a loud thud.

"_That's_ chakra un."

Having been sent to the ground, something he was unfortunately accustomed to, Inuyasha growled and picked himself up, cracking his knuckles.

"You little…" the hanyou growled as struck Deidara on his right shoulder. The blonde was knocked sideways, making him stumble into Hakaku, who quickly braced against him. Recovering, the ninja glared at Inuyasha, but the silver-hair held a satisfied stance. The one thing about not having Kagome; no beads.

Kagome… Inuyasha was quick to regret the thought, having the reminder return to gnaw at his mind.

Deidara rubbed his shoulder and snorted sorely in Inuyasha's direction before turning back to the two wolf demons.

"Anyway un, chakra is the power and energy behind all the-" he hesitated, deciding against mentioning jutsus in the interest of avoiding having to explain that topic as well, "tricks… ninjas can do un."

"Makes sense, I guess," Ginta muttered. He smirked at the affectionate wolf and patted her head, sending her off to her sister who waited nearby. "Hey Hakaku, what's a ninja?"

Inuyasha cracked as he watched Deidara tense, Hakaku not aiding any help with his shrug.

"Remember, they're 'heathens' you can't expect much from them, kid. But why do you work with clay? Why not a sword or bow, like most fighters?"

"I suppose I can answer both your questions at once un." Deidara folded his arms across his chest and closed his eyes, sighing as if in preparation for a very long story. "Ninja are shadow warriors, men and women whose greatest weapons are their minds un. Ninja all have an allegiance to some country, save for a few rogues like myself un."

Again Deidara motioned to the shiny metal plate strapped to his forehead with his right thumb, making the others note its high importance. "Unlike samurai, ninja use more than swords and bows and spears un. Anyone can block a sword or arrow if they are fast enough un. The premise of the ninja is to develop an attack so different than anything one's enemy has ever seen that they couldn't possibly be prepared to deal with it. By making one's foe think and strategize in the middle of a battle, a ninja has already gained the upper hand un." Deidara smiled and opened his eyes, to show that his explanation was done. "And that's what ninja are un."

"So… no one uses clay, so I understand that… But that's pretty much just using regular weapons. Even if they are made form a weird material, they are still the same."

Deidara smirked if only to hide his annoyance.

"You obviously don't know my art un. Yes I use clay to make my art and chakra to bring it to life, but haven't even begun to realize the beauty of the things I create un; the immeasurable power and passion that is alive and fills the world with beauty for a single moment before vanishing with as much glory as it arrived with un!" Receiving three blank and confused stares from the men around him, the ninja sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging. "I make birds with clay un. The birds fly around. The birds go boom and kill people un. Art."

"'Birds go boom?' What the hell does that mean?" Inuyasha grumbled and shifted his feet, growing even more tired of the small talk. "Like… they blow up?"

"Like they blow up un" Deidara replied with a nod folding his arms across his chest again, suppressing the urge to stretch, knowing it would only lead to a yawn. Already the moon was peeping over the tops of the mountains, a pearly white crescent hung low in the sky.

"But… it's clay," Inuyasha poked. "Clay doesn't explode, gunpowder does." At this point Inuyasha and Deidara were immersing in the debate, the two wolf men settling on watching the spectacle.

"Oi un! Are you saying I don't know what my own jutsus do un? Sure, charcoal and bat shit makes for okay, cheap power explosives, but my clay is made with nine parts cyclotrimethylene trinitramine to one part clay un. If you don't believe me, then perhaps you'd like a demonstration un!"

"NO way, you've caused too much trouble for one night with that sticky crap of yours, we don't need any fireworks. We better get before Kouga gets back and bites your head off, because I'm not saving your ass twice in one day. Now say goodnight to your 'savage' buddies and lets go already."

Deidara sighed and let his shoulders sag, knowing full well Inuyasha had a valid point.

"Alright, let's go un…" the ninja paused, turning his gaze back to the two clan demons, "Oh and Ginta, you and Hakaku better run down to the river and make sure Kouga doesn't get anyone drowned okay un? And if anyone else tried to lick that stuff, you guys can help 'em out now, got it un?"

"Got it" Hakaku replied curtly with a very brief nod.

"Thanks again for your help Deidara-san," Ginta said with a wave towards the ninja as he turned his back to follow Inuyasha. The young artist looked over his shoulder and smiled at the tribesmen, acknowledging their thanks.

As the wolf pair slid down after their leader, Inuyasha took the path before and descended, jumping effortlessly into the trees and swinging down to the ground floor. Standing by the roots, he waited for his follower. Deidara joined quickly and they made their way back to the small clearing where the large clay bird still stood, snapping its head up at their approach.

Approaching the mighty beast, the shinobi extended one hand to pat the raptor rewardingly on its hooked beak. Without a word, Deidara took a step forward and placed his hand firmly on the sculpture's breast. The bird instantly going rigid, straightening its legs and locking them before unfolding its expansive wings and stretching them out until the tips touched the ground on either side of the clearing. With a grunt of satisfaction, the blonde artist glanced over his shoulder and turned to see Inuyasha already beginning to dig out a fire pit in the center of the clearing.

"It isn't much, and I doubt the wind will bring rain tonight, but you'll never have to sleep without a roof - er… wing… over your head as long as I'm around un." The blonde shuffled his feet in the earth as he watched the other man claw up large handfuls of thick, brown clay.

"If it's all the same, I'll take my post in the tree. Make yourself useful and gather branches. I'll go get dinner from upstream of their mess." Nodding to his satisfactory pit, Inu dusted his hands and cracked his knuckles.

With a slight grunt, Deidara nodded; after the brouhaha he had caused with the clay trap, he wasn't about to object to the other man's solitary habits, being ordered to gather firewood nor the prospect of filling his belly with fish. The ninja made haste with gathering what firewood he could find in the immediate area, and though trees were all around, dry branches were still quite rare given the frequency of storms that broke over the mountains.

Before his companion could return with whatever he had managed to snare in the river, Deidara had gathered a very good sized armful of twigs, sticks and large branches. Though it was very rare for survival camping skills to come into play for the 18th century ninja, Deidara built a rather successful fire and was warming his hands by its orange glow by the time Inuyasha returned.

An hour later, Inuyasha had returned and the measly fish cooked and consumed, both men now sat in a stagnant air, finding it painful to strike up conversation. Inuyasha leaned over to reposition his stomach, making Deidara jump. At the comprehension that he wasn't trying to communicate, the ninja sighed, catching Inuyasha's ear.

"What?"

"Oh um, I didn't say anything…"

"Oh." The hanyou huffed.

"Huh?"

"I didn't say anything."

"Oh, never mind then," Deidara trailed off. Kami help him, this was agonizing.

Finally, after what seemed like decades of painfully awkward silence, Deidara fidgeted where he sat before stretching his arms forward, rather catlike and fighting very hard to work up a yawn. As he did so, Inuyasha looked up at his companion as if pleading for the excruciating uneasiness to finally be ending. With the forced yawns finally turning into uncontrollable real ones, Deidara wiped the subsequent dampness from his tired eyes with one long, black sleeve.

"Well un, I figure it's about time we got some shut-eye un. We've got a…" another yawn, "… a good six hours of flying ahead of us tomorrow. We'll have to leave at the crack of dawn if we want to make it back at the village by lunchtime. You know what they say, early to bed, early to rise un..."

Inuyasha groaned, rubbing a stiff shoulder before finding the will to stand. Deidara watched him as the hanyou looked up the nearest tree, finding a favored branch and climbing up to it. With no effort he straddled the thick limb, letting on leg dangle and the other bend sharply to support his elbow. Looking over the edge, Inu watched over Deidara, wondering if he could figure out how to sleep outside. The shinobi looked about himself, and finding nothing better that a pile of moldy leaves decided to follow Inuyasha's lead on the ground, laying his back against the trunk of the tree and pulling his arms into his cloak.

Staring across the small clearing at the slowly dying fire, Deidara silently tried to decide what he was actually doing in this mess of a world. Of course he had decided to rid himself of Itachi once and for all, but this was much easier said than done. Putting the largest task aside in his mind to be contemplated later, the ninja quietly began to play with different scenarios in his mind. What if he managed to become permanently separated from Itachi? He would find work someplace decent, someplace where manslaughter was not in the job description. He would build himself a home, perhaps even start a family should he find a suitable partner to share his life with. Still such prospects felt very distant, and Deidara returned to mulling over how he would be rid of his connection to Itachi.

The ninja thought over the idea time and time again, with little process until his mind became far too fuzzy to even formulate the image of his enemy. Reluctantly giving in to the prospect of sleep, the shinobi allowed his head to bow forward and he finally fell into unconsciousness, lulled by the soft cooing of the forest and the faint echo of the other man's breath.


	4. Digging Up the Past

Chapter 4

Digging Up the Past

With a smooth flight back from dawn 'til noon, the two made it back to the hanyou's forest, finding no sign of the other shinobi. Satisfied with the search, they reconvened back at the elderly miko's hut, where they informed her of their gathered intelligence.

"So you mean to say this Itachi man would be the only one to know of the workings of the well," Kaede inquired. "This situation doesn't seem to near in our favor…"

"No shit. And I didn't smell him anywhere near the well, so either he's still here or there, wherever he's hiding at. I can't think of where he'd pop up from, but he seems like the guy to bring a fight to us, so staying put seems best." The silver hair had his hands folded into his sleeves, taking his usual spot in the corner of the room while Kaede poked at her mini fire.

The entire subject seemed to put the remaining man all the more on edge, and he fidgeted where he stood near the curtain that acted as the elder's door. Deidara looked at his companion from the corner of his eye as if to ask for the meeting to be made as short as possible. In the back of his mind, the blonde ninja's brain was buzzing with a dire need to prepare for Itachi's arrival, because if he knew one thing, it was that with Itachi, it wasn't a matter of _if_ but _when_.

"I agree, Inuyasha, but what plans have you for him? Not to push this off to solely you, but you understand that this matter has nothing to do with the village, and their involvement will only cause unnecessary damage-"

"Yeah, I know that. I figured that staying here would lead the fight here, so that's why we'll be leaving." Deidara's head turned quickly from the doorway to the hanyou. "I figure the camping out and waiting for him further into the wood would lead him far enough form the village that no one will get involved and we can get this over with."

"Now hang on, un," the blonde cut in. "You may be able to sleep in the sticks and dirt every night, but I'd rather get a good night's rest for once. You know, with a bed and a roof over my head. Plus, Itachi won't think twice about a midnight attack, and with our backs open in the sticks, he'd have plenty of angles to attack from."

Inuyasha grumbled something about Deidara's soft nature, but the lady cut in.

"Well there is your home, Inuyasha. Didn't you say it was finished last spring?"

The hanyou grew silent, dreading the thought of the structure. It was true that he with the help of Miroku and some village help erected a small house on the outskirts of the forest, big enough for a couple to occupy.

"Yeah, I guess that could work. But you might wanna grab a bit of food, Deidara. There won't be any there."

"Right un, I can make a quick trip to the village market and… " he said beginning to nod, all of a sudden, the ninja's agreement dissipated. Looking down as if in shame, Deidara shoved his fingers into one of the pockets on the outside of his hip bags, rummaging through the little niche before closing his eyes and frowning. "I… don't suppose the village market here would accept Ryō… would they un?" solemnly, as if already knowing the answer to his question, Deidara pulled a small bundle of folded paper bills from his pocket, holding them out to the priestess to be examined. It was a lot of currency, worth quite a bit in the 18th century, but next to worthless in a land where the bills had not yet come into print.

"Is this money from your time?" the woman puzzled as she rubbed the paper between her fingers.

"Hang on, kid… Do I still have a running tab here," Inuyasha sighed.

"Of course Inuyasha. The village is more than happy to assist after you and Lady Kagome rid the world of Naraku. Just stroll to the market and they should have what you're looking for." Moving to a chest pushed in the further side of the hut, she looked inside and pulled out a well-sized sack, clinking with plenty of coins. Inuyasha took the sack and tucked it into his sleeve and nodded, quitting her home unannounced.

Deidara almost didn't catch it as the other man took his leave, thinking for a moment of taking his money from the priestess, but deciding against it if the currency was worthless anyway. In a flash he was behind Inuyasha, following at the half-demon's heels if only for the sake of showing his own presence. Still the silver haired man refused to acknowledge him, as if all of a sudden Deidara was receiving the cold shoulder. The ninja frowned slightly, snorting indignantly for being ignored before trying to strike up a conversation, hopefully one that might help solve he half demon's attitude problem.

"So… you saved the world from this Naraku guy un? Are you like some kind of superhero then un?"

"No. Look, me and some others defeated that bastard Naraku before he could absorb the Shikon Jewel and become full-blooded demon. Kagome….she did most of the work." Inuyasha trailed off, gloomy at the mention of her name yet again. "Anyway, anyone with a brain knew he needed to be stopped, but with the Tetsuiga, Miroku's wind-tunnel, Sango's demon hunting skills, and … Kagome's powers, we defeated him. Now it's safe, no big deal."

Stepping forward, Deidara moved up so that he was walking in line with the other man, shoulder to shoulder. "Well, everyone got out okay, right? So why are you so… in a mood un? It's putting me on edge guy, can you fix it un?" The ninja cupped a sturdy palm over the round of Inuyasha's shoulder and jostled him slightly as if trying to wake him from a trance. "You're head's not in the game un. What're you thinking about hm?"

Taking a rough slap to the hand, Deidara was knocked off of the huffy hanyou.

"Get off, and quit asking. I'm not in a 'mood', you're crazy. Here, take it." Inuyasha shoved the coins into Deidara's palms and picked up his pace, leaving the blonde to trail behind. "You're the one who's gonna want this food, so go get what you want. And be quick about it."

Deidara all but stopped in his tracks, blinking at the other man as if he couldn't understand why, all of a sudden, he had been shoved away. Heaving a heavy sigh, the shinobi jammed the sack of coins into his side bag on the left, cramming his hands into the zipper pockets for lack of anything better to do with them. The mouths on his palms chewed absently at the crumbly, dry clay, making small, white balls out of the clay if only to occupy the artist's hands while he thought.

There was something very off about Inuyasha all of a sudden, and that was saying a lot for a man who had only known the half demon for two days. It was almost as if after the conversation with the withered old priestess, Inuyasha had become a different person entirely. His sudden change in behavior irked Deidara just enough to make him roll the thought over and over in his head as he took his time making his way to the market.

Surprisingly, the sun seemed barely to have moved by the time Deidara returned to Kaede's home. He had spent only three of the other man's coins, but managed to laden his shoulders with enough fresh fruits, vegetables and meats to feed both men for more than a week.

"Are you about done, kid? I don't know if you need to pig out…" Inuyasha groaned from a few strides away. Looking back to the blonde, Inuyasha blinked. "Even though you are kinda skinny…"

"Watch it, tough guy un," Deidara growled in response, his patience wearing thin with the other man's sudden sore attitude. When Inuyasha's frown twitched downward still, the ninja sighed and adjusted the yoke-like pole across his shoulders. "Look, I don't know how safe it'll be to venture out for a while, it might be fine, but it might not un. Best to prepare for the worst, so I got rations for the both of us un." Smiling slightly at the other man, Deidara gave his companion a sideways kind of look. "Eating a well-rounded diet never killed anyone un."

"Sure."

As they walked along, Inuyasha stayed silent, watching the other man. Suddenly he reached out and took the heavier of the two sides, throwing the bag over his shoulder. Unbalanced, Deidara recovered and redistributed the weight to the sides of his pole, the weight vastly reduced.

"Thanks, it was getting heavy," Deidara smiled.

"Yeah… no problem."

The ever dreaded awkward silence soon returned with a vengeance, making Deidara at the very least fidgety. He didn't like not knowing what was going on inside the other man's brain; it gave him just the kind of uncertainty that was so unwelcomed with another battle so eminent. Glancing at the hanyou every so often, the young man studied his face in intervals, as if by reading the lines in his brow, the shinobi could crack the code of his sudden standoffishness. Finally he gave up on trying to read Inuyasha's expression, heaving a sigh and looking back to the path ahead of him.

"Look, you're not acting like yourself un. I barely know you and I can tell that much. What's eating you un?"

"Nothing."

"Don't give me that. Tell me."

"I said drop it."

"Come on, Inuyasha. Just spill-"

"Shut _up_, Kagome!"

Inuyasha's steps stopped cold and his shoulders went rigid. Deidara paused with him, looking over the statue standing next to him.

"Wait… what?"

"Nothing, just… just forget it!" The half-breed's took off to the village's entrance, a heated growl fading after him.

Blinking for a moment of confusion, the ninja suddenly grunted and took off after Inuyasha, running as fast as his well-seasoned legs could carry him. With the added weight of the rations slung across his shoulders, Deidara was bogged down and couldn't force himself to catch up. With a low groan of frustration, the ninja kept after the sprinting hanyou, at the very least keeping the other man in his line of sight.

But as the hanyou cleared the edge of the village, the old miko had stepped out, seeing Inuyasha fly by with Deidara on his trail.

"Inuyasha!" she called after him, but at his ignoring, she stepped before Deidara and blocked him. "What on earth is going on? Is it this Itachi attacking?"

The ninja skidded to a halt, reluctant to give up his pursuit in the interest of not losing his way to the promised homestead. Without needing so much as a moment to catch his breath, the shinobi shook his head vigorously to deny her.

"No un. He was acting all weird and moody, so I bugged him about what was the matter. He yelled at me, called me _'Kagome'_ and ran off like a maniac un."

"Oh dear…" she sighed. "I thought something like this would happen. Best to come inside and let him cool off."

"But-" Deidara began, but the elder pulled him aside towards her home rather forcefully. He struggled, but with a scary iron grip he surrendered, letting himself be dragged to the dingy shanty once more.

"Don't worry, he will return. It is just best to let him get out his frustrations before dealing with him."

Letting his yoke fall to the floor as he sat Deidara cupped his hands behind his head and leaned back in a vain attempt at venting his aggravation through a good stretch.

"What's his deal un? One minute he's all focused on the fight with Itachi and the next he's got a big knot in his undies. All I said was 'what's eating you' un, and here he goes getting all defensive and chewing _my_ head off un."

"Inuyasha is a stubborn one, and similar to your interrogation of him is that of young Kagome. She too bickered with him, bringing back her memory. It… it isn't easy for him to think about her, so try to be patient."

"You know, I'd love to be patient, but that's not really a thing I can afford at the moment un. Itachi could be on his way here and Inuyasha's off sulking about some chick; that's not going to help un." Lying back, Deidara let out a sigh as if letting his exasperation go. "What did this Kagome girl do to him, anyway un? Dei? Break his heart? Abandon him for another un? Gotta be something big to get him this out of line un."

"If time is of the essence, then this tale is too long to tell, but you must know that she disappeared three years ago, and the only hope of her return was from that well that now appears to not travel to her time, but yours."

Deidara propped himself up on his elbows to give the miko a rather apathetic look.

"Well sounds like that sucked pretty bad for him then un, I get that. Buy why all the drama all of a sudden un? And when do you figure his jets will have cooled un?"

"I do not believe this is an 'all of a sudden' incident. His friends have told me he tends to fly off the handle the last few months, and with a person emerging from the well after almost three years, Inuyasha is bound to be... unstable. His life has not been an easy one, so for now, let him calm down, and maybe with time he can come to terms with what has happened."

"Let's hope he comes to terms pretty quick un," the blonde grunted, folding his hands behind his head and laying back again. "All this brouhaha is about enough to make me sick un." Shutting his eyes, Deidara's brow furrowed. Sure he could understand perfectly why Inuyasha would be upset over some girl that vanished, but what he didn't understand was why he was _so_ upset. It seemed ludicrous to the ninja, who in his few years had been in enough sorry, failed attempts at relationships it would have made Inuyasha's head spin. At least she hadn't been murdered with a lance in her back or forsaken him for another man.

"Well, we shall see," the miko sighed.

Off the beaten road, along a worn fence line, Inuyasha sat with his left knee to his chest. His nails where dug into his leg, but he face was slack, looking out to the workers in the rice fields as they toiled.

_Damnnit, Kagome_… he thought. _Where are you?_ He knew in his heart that the only place she could be was in her time, but the span in time had eaten away at him. Three years. She could have had three years to come back, but now with this sight of strangers coming from her well had turned all he knew upside down_. Did you even have a chance, Kagome? If these people have the well… then… what did you want? What do you want? Kagome, I want you here… but do you want to be here? I need you. Why couldn't I tell you that? Damnnit Kagome…_

Hours passed and still the hanyou had not returned. Deidara had taken to lazing around Kaede's hut, poking through her medicines and filling his belly slightly with the spoils of his shopping. The ninja had eventually decided it best to keep his muscles loose and took to wandering through the small, grassy clearing behind the miko's abode, all the while chewing impatiently on the end of a white radish.

From the main road Deidara heard footsteps and leaned to see, jumping slightly at the sight of the lone hanyou returning.

"You better now?"

Inuyasha looked at him somberly, but nodded.

"Oh good, now can we get moving to this house of yours," Deidara mused.

Inuyasha passed by him towards the miko's home, taking up he large sack of food he had left on his way out. Slinging it on his shoulder, her turned and continued down the road again, retracing his steps and passed Deidara again.

Sighing and letting his shoulders slump for a moment, Deidara barely caught himself, shaking his head briefly before straightening his back and squaring his shoulders. It didn't take much for the blonde to catch up with Inuyasha, and he contemplated speaking to the other man, but it went against his better judgment and he decided against it. Instead, Deidara followed shortly behind the solemn half demon quietly, not wanting to risk bringing up the sore topic again.

But after a while, Inuyasha muttered something, and Dei leaned in, inquiring.

"So… what all do you get? Can you cook?"

"I can prepare food that tastes decent and won't give you a stomach disease, if that's what you mean by 'cook' un." The corners of Deidara's mouth turned up slightly, though it was not quite enough to be called a smile. He was, however, relieved that his comrade's demeanor had improved enough for him to speak again. "As for what I got from the marked, there are fresh fruits and vegetables, and a few cuts of pork and beef un. The plums are very good, I believe they have just come into season un."

"That's good. I can't cook to save my life. I eat what I can kill. I think there's stuff to cook with there… It's not gonna be pretty. Haven't been there in years…" Inuyasha sighed and readjusted his sack, slowing his pace ever so slightly.

"Well it'll be good to get a hot meal in your belly, I know that much un." The blonde sighed and stretched his arms upward letting himself slip into a little nostalgia. "I remember back before all this Akatsuki business, there were times when I'd survive for weeks on stale bread, dry rice and protein pills un. Boy was it ever good to have a hot meal, snatched or not un."

"So you're a demon hunter and a thief, is that it? Can't say I haven't myself, but what can you do when you're young and on your own. You always been a hunter?"

"Nah un" Deidara replied in a rather offhand manner, as if it wasn't too big of a deal. "I only got forced into _that_ business around two years ago un." Squaring his shoulders off again, the shinobi's mood seemed to pluck up again, and his chin came a little further forward as if he was holding his head up high with pride. "But we all do what we can to get by right un? I mean you wouldn't know a thing about it, but the life of a wanted man isn't exactly paved with rose petals un."

"You think everyone is singing me praises? Humans normally don't take kindly to demons… let alone half-breed's. Even the people in Kaede's village have their doubts about me." Inuyasha looked off thoughtfully, remembering his childhoods "But if that wasn't bad enough, I wasn't good enough for demons either. Not good enough to be human, not bad enough to be demon."

"Hey…" Deidara narrowed his eyes slightly at the other man and gave him an indignant snort. "Whether you're neither here nor there un, at least you've got _friends_ right un? You said so yourself you didn't kill this Naraku guy by yourself un."

Pausing to scratch absently at the back of his neck and look away, the blonde eventually decided to continue. "On the other side of that well, the only guy I was ever real close friends with is dead un, so you better count your lucky stars un… This Kagome girl of yours… she's not dead as far as you know, she's just… stuck… I can't ever see Sasori again un…" Suddenly, the ninja came up short while walking and gave Inuyasha a look of what might be called determination. "You better consider yourself _damn_ lucky un, because when you need help, there's someone there un, and when you go to bed at night, you don't have to get a black eye to earn a pillow un."

Mulling it over, the hanyou grumbled.

"Look, whatever twisted group you're in, you need out. Besides, you try living on your own as a kid, not able to sleep because someone three times your size might eat your head. And you try living with dirty blood with no one who wants you… well, almost. You're right about them… my friends. I got lucky. All three are demon killers, and two of them tried to snuff me before we knew each other. But it all got worked out, and… yeah." Ever so slightly, his jaw slackened and his lips upturned. "Everything is better… better then back then. Everything always gets better…"

"Yeah… bet you know what it's like then… being hunted down like an animal un… Now I don't mean to stand around and try to one up your horror stories of the past un, but it's not easy finding anyone who will help you out when you've had a price on your head since you were twelve un." The ninja's lips turned up into a slight smile as well and he chuckled for a moment. "I suppose that's one perk of being in the Akatsuki, is free room, board, and food un."

He looked over at Inuyasha and grinned, showing something just short of elation behind a rather reserved exterior. "But that's why I'm here too un, and not back on the other side. Things always get better when they can't get worse, and I think this is my lucky break un." With a contented look on his face, Deidara turned to face forward again as they continued on towards Inuyasha's house. "I guess I've been through the inferno, and it's time for paradise un."

"Paradise… sounds nice. Maybe after all this we can both find it. I mean, two of my friends, Sango and Miroku are married and got kids now, and back then we didn't even know if we'd make it out. It's great… three kids now. One little happy family."

Deidara hummed in reply, or agreement; families are nice after all.

"Yeah un. That sounds… great I suppose un. I'd like to settle down someplace quiet, find someone who will be my spouse and live off my art un…" Smirking, the ninja closed his eyes and made a smug face. "I suppose I was just born into the wrong era then un, cause fat chance of that ever happening in the Earth country un."

"Live off your art? You mean like sell it? I suppose you could do that…" They were about half way to the house, and Inuyasha found himself even enjoying the walk. It had been awhile since he enjoyed anyone's company other than Miroku and Sango, but with their new lives ahead of them, he was a friend, meant to make a life of his own.

As for Deidara, it was the first time in nearly two years that he'd enjoyed company of any sort. It was the first time in almost two years during which company didn't mean at the very least standoffishness. It made him very glad that he could spend time alongside Inuyasha, even if he still wasn't terribly well acquainted with the man, he knew the hanyou wouldn't wish him harm.

"You know what un? If I never see Itachi again, it'll be too soon un" the shinobi announced boastfully, puffing out his chest slightly as if the words were liberating in some way and in saying them he had won a major victory over Itachi.

"Well if what you're telling me about him is right, keep dreaming. But hopefully we can put this thing to bed and move on. But I gotta question for you."

"Shoot."

"… You're not wanting to go back to your time right?"

"Huh!" Deidara scoffed "that scumbag un? Why on earth would I want to go back with him un?" The ninja looked away as if avoiding Inuyasha's eyes for a moment before peaking back at the hanyou.

"Ok then, so you stay here. So I wanna know… you think you can help me fix the well? Put it back to the right time."

"I haven't much idea how that works un," came the blonde man's reply, sounding less than enthusiastic, "but I guess it's the least I could do… If you can come up with a way that works, I'll for sure help you out un."

"Thanks. So you really don't know anything. Just jumped into a well without any thought? Sounds brilliant. But anyway, we're almost there, think we could pick up the pace?"

"Ha, screw that un," the blonde said with a laugh, "let's make it a race un!" Throwing his hands out in a v shape behind him, Deidara took off running straight ahead, not even caring that he hadn't the foggiest idea where he was going.

In a blink, Deidara was trailing, with demon blood Inuyasha couldn't help but keep the lead. But not wanting to lose him, the hanyou kept a steady, quick pace, and they reached the laid path back into the wood that marked his home. Inuyasha whipped around the corner, skidding to a stop just before the door.

"Never thought I'd see this old shack again."

Truth be told it wasn't a bad looking little house. In a traditional sense, the front of the home was made of two door panels, and a porch that wrapped around the whole home. It was quaint. A home built for two.

"Not too shabby un" Deidara commented as he came to a halt behind him looking the house up and down. Though there were many seasons worth of leaf litter covering the roof and porch, and evidence of squirrels having made homes in the porch eaves, the house was far from ugly. The shinobi couldn't help but smile. "Maybe one day after we get this ordeal with Itachi sorted out, I'll help you fix this place up un. I guess it'll be the very least I owe you un."

"It's not that bad..." Inuyasha grumbled. "Ok, it is. Well, I don't think the roof with fall in. Let's head in." Inuyasha walked up the two steps and nudged the door open with his foot, taking a few cautious steps into the mudroom that wrapped around, separating them from the living quarters. Listening closely, there were no sounds from inside, and he stepped to the left, opening the second set of panels. He looked around and sighed.

"Home sweet home, I guess. This is the kitchen, go crazy."

Deidara eyed the kitchen, and after a little poking around in the cabinets, found it to be totally barren of cooking ingredients. Giving a slightly dissatisfied snort, Deidara turned from where he was crouched in front of a large, iron potbelly stove to look at Inuyasha.

"Can't cook much without water un. Why don't you run and get a bucket full? As fast as you run you should be back by the time I've got a fire going un."

"Feh, alright, but don't burn down the place, unless you like sleeping in the woods." Looking around Inuyasha spotted a few buckets he had stashed there, making his way back out to run to a nearby stream.

Wasting no time, Deidara was on his feet and rummaging through the woods just outside the house to find suitable branches to be burned. In no time a lovely, hot fire was crackling in the belly of the stove, and the blonde man stared fondly into the dancing flames, admiring their beauty while he waited for Inuyasha to return.

A little time after the fire was birthed, Inuyasha returned through the door and set his buckets beside the shinobi. While the blonde worked at his food, Inuyasha inspected the rest of the house. The layout of the house was simple by his construction. The mudroom wrapped around the entire home, leaving the space inside to be divided into three sections, one half, and then two fourths. He had decided on leaving the largest room to become the bedroom, and the two smaller rooms to be the kitchen on the left and a simple living room to the right. He pushed open the panel between the two smaller rooms and looked about. A small couch was pushed to the furthest wall, and a layer of dust covered it.

"Fantastic…" He walked through quickly, and moved to the bedroom.

The empty space was haunting, and to avoid the knot in his stomach from aching further, he pushed through to the back, opening both sets of panels caging him until he was on the back porch. There was a little clearing to the east, and a few rabbits scattered at the sudden movement. All was calm in the sweet clearing, and Inuyasha tried to ease himself again.

The scent of meats cooking caught the dog demon's attention and he turned his head, allowing saliva to pool below his tongue at the prospect of tasting whatever sweet meat was frying in the other room. It was just enough to distract him from his brooding thoughts, even making Inuyasha smile a bit. Deidara had somehow managed to make a broth from water, vegetables and pork fat and was using the thick, brown soup to sauté two sizable slices of pork. Gradually, the ninja added diced vegetables and rice until the entire dish seemed to be swimming in goopy brown chunks. Deidara grimaced to look at his creation, but despite its outward appearance, the dish did smell good.

Making his way back through the rooms, he ended up back in the kitchen, looking over Deidara's shoulder.

"That smells great, kid." Inuyasha ventured a steal and snatched a bit of meat from the mix, pooping the hot chunk in his mouth. The searing meat burnt his tongue, but he worked past it as the flavor form his chews filled his mouth. He knew he took herbs and spices too lightly, letting them linger on his palette. "S'good. Mmmm."

"Tastes better than it looks does it un?" Glad to hear approval, Deidara smiled and nodded to the other man as a way of thanking him. Turning away from the pan, where meats and vegetables still crackled and bubbled in the sauce, Deidara pulled two matching bowls of polished grey stone down from the overhead shelf. Grimacing in disgust, he upturned the bowls and poured out a heaping load of dust and several dead bugs. Quickly rinsing the bowls out with a decent splash of water, Deidara made haste to fill them to the brim with the steaming stew, passing one to his host and keeping the other for himself.

Inuyasha sniffed at the broth, and gulped down a mouthful, almost spilling it as it burned his mouth again. Deidara sniggered at him, but the hanyou took another guzzle and moaned. Hot food. So overrated.

Doing much better to cool his food before he ate, Deidara tested the temperature of his stew by dipping the very end of the tongue on his right hand into the broth and feeling for the proper temperature. When his food had cooled sufficiently to the point where he could eat without burning his mouth and making a fool of himself, Deidara finally began to eat. By this time, Inuyasha was nearly done with his bowl and eyeing the pan in hopes of snatching a second helping. Not to be outdone, the chef put his bowl to his lips and began to fill his gullet with the warm stew, gulping happily and barely chewing.

Deidara sputtered a bit as a chuck triggered a gag, and Inuyasha chuckled. As the blonde wiped his mouth, Inuyasha helped himself, Deidara quick to follow. Taking their time, the two enjoyed the food and even took thirds, not bothering to talk during the meal.

When the last of the stew had been swallowed, and the bowls even licked clean, Deidara was quick to take what kitchenware he had used and run water over it all until it was clean. Restacking each piece onto the shelves where they belonged, Deidara finally wiped the last bits of moisture off on his robes. Sighing with a satisfied belly and a feeling of duties fulfilled, Deidara leaned against the kitchen counter, it being one of the few places clear of dust.

"This place is filthy, Inuyasha. How long has it been since you-"

"A few days after it was built. I'm not much for living in houses, so I haven't been here in about two years."

"Two years? If you don't live in houses, then why did you build one?"

"I didn't say I couldn't. If I want to settle down, a house would be best." Inuyasha thought back to the day it was completed. He and Miroku stood back while the villagers took lunch, and they both were satisfied with the result.

"_I do believe this is a perfect home for a little family, Inuyasha. You two will be really happy here," Miroku smiled._

"_I hope so, because I'm not building another one!" They had both laughed, but the overall thought of the future rang out that day. A new start. Inuyasha pictured him and his new bride walking through those doors…_

The silver-hair clenched his fingers out of sight from Deidara.

The seal was broken on that dream. Not that it truly broke his heart, but the first one to enter the home hadn't been who he wished it, putting him slightly off.

"But anyway," Inuyasha continued, "it should be fine with a little cleaning. We can start later if you want."

"It doesn't really bug me, but as it were, we might not have anything better to do than play maid un." Deidara laughed heartily at the look on Inuyasha's face, it was pure stupid confusion, as if he couldn't understand why the blonde would want to dress up like a maid and pretend. "Itachi might take a while to decide he really wants me back un, in which case we might end up sitting around with not a whole lot to do un."

"Well alright then. Guess we'll need more water then…" Inuyasha smiled and stood, rummaging around until he found two more buckets. Slinging them and the half empty one on his arms, he stepped out again towards the stream.

In the meantime, Deidara removed his long, Akatsuki issue cloak, draping the thing over a limb of a young cherry tree near the porch. He pulled every tress of his long, golden hair, save for his bangs, into a high ponytail to get the strands off of the back of his neck. Frowning slightly, Deidara fell onto his rump and removed his shoes and stockings as well, followed shortly after by his netted black half-tank, leaving him in naught but his knee-length, navy trousers.

He took instantly to cleaning what he could of the house. All the shoji doors were slid as wide open as they could be, releasing the stale air and filling the unused house with the smells of a fresh summer. After digging around through the sparse supplies that had been left behind, the shinobi finally found a broom made from willow twigs. Not his first choice, but it was better than nothing for sure.

He swept each room carefully, not having many things to work around. It wasn't a furnished home by any means, the single couch in the living room and one old cabinet in the bedroom, which held two futons. Taking them out, Deidara walked to the back of the home and threw them over a low hanging branch, beating them with the broom. Dust puffed into the air until his twentieth swing, and then he left them to continue his sweep. Once done, Deidara was looking for rags when Inuyasha returned, water in hand.

Deidara looked up and smiled at the hanyou, making a lighthearted remark on the warrior's triumphant return. The shinobi pulled his damp forehead protector down around his neck from where it had been gathering sweat on his brow. Taking one of the buckets from Inuyasha's hands to lighten the half demon's load, Deidara set the bucket down in the kitchen and continued rooting through cabinets for a washcloth.

Inuyasha leaned over him and pulled out a bundle next to where Deidara was searching, tossing them at the bucket. A few landed in while the others dropped to the floor, and Inuyasha snatched a wet one. He handed it to Deidara and then took the broom for himself.

"I'm gonna get the roof cleared. You start on the floors, and I'll help later."

Giving only a nod in response, Deidara dunked the rest of the clothes in the same bucket, plunging his arm into the cool water and smiling as his knuckles scraped the wooden bottom. Deciding to start in the middle and work his way outward, the blonde rolled his pants up past his knees and settled down with his own bucket of water in the center of the living room. He doused the floor with a splash of water that made muddy-looking streams in all directions. The blonde sighed and began scrubbing at the grain, knowing he had his work cut out for him.

The sun was well into the west when Inuyasha jumped from the roof to join Deidara, finding the man hunched over in the bedroom. He was grunting angrily at the floor, presumably at the amount of work it was providing the shinobi. Inuyasha snatched his own rag and took to the kitchen, rubbing everything down mindfully.

"Hoes it coming in there, kid?" Inuyasha called from the next room. He sat before the wall that would have connected the kitchen to bedroom if not for the cabinets and stove, so he had to lean right to holler out through the house.

Leaning back on his haunches, the blonde man wiped his wet brow with his right forearm, giving himself a momentary break. He leaned back on the balls of his feet, twisting his body at the hip so that he spun on his toes to face Inuyasha with a satisfied smile.

"It's good work, I can feel my arms getting just a little bit stronger un. How's the roof?"

Inuyasha stopped and dropped his rag.

"… What's wrong with your chest?"

Deidara blinked and gave the other man a very confused look.

"Huh? What are you…? OH!" Looking down at his own chest the ninja's eyes went immediately to his left pectoral. The flesh was twisted and the skin was split horizontally in a wicked, deep-looking scar. The wound had been crudely sewn back together with thick, black thread. Where the muscle had been split apart seemed to be fully healed, but still held together by the nasty stitches. All around the scar there was some kind of symbolic tattoo, as thick and black as the thread that held the abrasion together, that resembled a tribal depiction of teeth.

"Boy, you picked a good one un… let's just say I'm more of a freak than you thought un." He gave the hanyou a wiry smile, but the answer left Inuyasha wanting.

"How many scars do you have, Deidara? I mean, shit… what's that from?" Inuyasha leaned out into the living room, staring at the younger man in the bedroom.

"Well, this one's from getting my arm torn off by the raccoon demon of sand un," Deidara said looking and pointing to his left upper arm where a similarly gruesome scar occupied the width of his arm. "And this one's from where my arm got severed by the mangekyo Sharingan of Hatake Kakashi un" he motioned to his right arm where two scars ringed his flesh on either side of the elbow; the flesh in between these two scars seemed to be severely warped, and discolored, but healing none the less. "And the one on my chest… well that was a mistake on my part un… I didn't intend for the jutsu to turn out that way…"

"Whoa… you're tougher than I thought. You got all of that in only two years of demon hunting?" Taking back to his chore, Inuyasha wiped over the counters below the top shelves of the cabinets, still training his ear to his guest.

"Technically I got the one on my chest when I was twelve, but that's not important un." Continuing to scrub the floors, Deidara continued talking, thankful for the conversation. "But demons are so rare they're the very least of my problems un, now enemy ninjas… now they're the real problem un."

"So wait… how many demons are in your time? In the 20th century… they're all gone."

"There's nine un. Big nasty things. Each with one more tail than the last, all the way up from Ichibi to Kyuubi un." Deidara was working his way near to the edge of the room by now. "It's a good thing they're not all out and running rampant though. They're all either trapped under the Akatsuki's control or sealed inside of a human being un, but if that person's control isn't that great, the demon's evil energy can leak through and release the power like a demon rampage killing spree un."

"Makes sense. Humans can't control demon blood at all. The two are too different to perfectly mix. Trust me on that. But here there are too many to count, but they're dwindling I think. The large clans are finding their lands and protecting them. Some go off solo and find their hiding places, some among humans. But then the problems come in when the humans and demons mix. It's never pretty. No one learned to play nice." Inuyasha rung out his rag, dipping it back in to clear away the rest of the dirt from the counter.

"It's probably for the better un… The world doesn't need to have that much, raw, untamed, evil power running loose and destroying villages un." Splashing a bit more water onto the floor, Deidara began to push the murky solution towards the back shoji. "I still get the spooks just thinking about the stories my father told me about the five-tailed dolphin horse that nearly wiped out Iwagakure before I was born un."

"A dolphin horse demon? Now that's a new one… Demons around here either are animal or an element, like water demons. My mother tried to explain it when I was young. She said that the first demons to walk the earth were so lost, they clung to the things around them. Soon they copied what they did, gaining their strengths in the world, and eventually became a part of them. Uh, she explained it better. Sorry."

"That seems a little farfetched don't you think un? The way it was taught to me was that the nine demons were created at the end of the Sage of Six Paths' life un. The great ten-tailed beast was threatening to destroy the world, so the Sage broke up its chakra and formed the tailed beasts which could be sealed into human bodies to keep them from reforming the ten-tails and ending all life un." Pushing the last of the murky water off of the edge of the porch, Deidara squatted on the balls of his feet and rested his elbows on his knees, looking to Inuyasha as he finished with cleaning the countertop.

Wiping his brow, the hanyou sighed heavily.

"Well in this time there isn't just one great demon. There are thousands of thousands of weaker demons. The more powerful ones are dwindling, but there are still plenty more than just nine. But they keep mostly to themselves, hiding out and helping the land or sea around them instead of trying to conquer anything." Inuyasha took his bucket and Deidara's as he walked to the back, sloshing the brown water over the side of the porch. "Now you do get a few assholes that try to make a stink, but they get shut down quick enough. The humans here are starting to get power hungry, what with demons on the decline, but that's far off to the north. For now… everything's ok."

Deidara smirked and hauled himself to his feet. "Better watch out, sounds like the 18th century's catching up to you faster than you think un. Two hundred fifty years isn't that long of a time… three lifetimes un…" The ninja tried to give Inuyasha a reassuring smile, but it failed as a smile in general. Eventually looking away and taking a pace backwards, Deidara admired the work they had done and how much better the house looked, though there were still places in bitter need of a good dusting.

"I think it's livable, right? Or are the accommodations not good enough for you?" Inuyasha sneered and hopped off the back porch, stepping out to the futons and giving them a few good beats himself.

"It's a defensible position, and that's what matters un. Other than that I don't care what it looks like." Folding his arms and standing back, the shinobi admired the product of their work with a grin.

"Alright, fair enough. Ok, next thing is getting bigger firewood. I'll be back… make… make yourself at home." Inuyasha grinned weakly and walked around to the front, leaving his company in another awkward air.

Deflating slightly, Deidara leaned backwards until he fell onto one of the futons, looking solemnly up at the house. Inuyasha was still having difficulty with the building, and it was rubbing off on the ninja to some degree. Slumping forward, the blonde looked at the vacant house, and it suddenly seemed like a shallow grave where Inuyasha had buried the last of his hopes for Kagome to return. He just hoped it wouldn't become painful to stay in the forsaken place.

Several hundred feet away, Inuyasha was slicing fluently through a fallen tree, carving great chunks out for a promising fire later that night. He had known that staying in the home would be awkward, but seeing that there was still hope of her return with the completion of this mission, he shook off his anxiety the best he could, hacking at the wood with the Tetsusaiga. If he could just muddle through this, then he could start to work on getting her back.

He had felt out of place since that last day with her all those years ago. He knew he loved her. Plain and true, without a doubt. And that was new. With Kikyo he had loved her, but she had been lost to fate and there was no bringing her back, even from her return from death. Kagome had brought him back to life, healed his heart, and he knew he couldn't be without her. Well, that proved to be wrong.

She was gone for three years, and he was still breathing. But the hopes of her kept him going. Hopes of Kikyo hadn't made him go on after her death. Kagome had. She was his savior, and that total devotion wasn't something he was used to. It was always about survival and not getting attached. No one could truly love a half-breed, not fitting into either world. But she did. From his canine blood he was loyal to no end, and even a glimmer of hope was all he needed to endure anything, any obstacle, to hold out for her. Even living in their home with another… he could deal with it. He could survive.

By the time Inuyasha returned with his arms piled high with wood, Deidara had done his part for beating the last of the dust out of the futons and carrying them inside, arranging them how he saw fit. Afterwards the ninja had taken to the rooftop, laying himself comfortably out in the dappled sunlight and soaking up the last of the sunlight before the great orb sunk below the trees. His fingers danced in the air as he filled the idle time with some game, taunting a snow-white butterfly of his creation that fluttered around his face, alighting on his digits only to be shooed off.

He saw Inuyasha approaching just barely out of the corner of his eye, but decided to ignore the other man for the time being. Hopefully a little more work had eased the hanyou's mindset enough to put him in a more sociable mood. Of course, if he wanted the company, Deidara knew he'd be able to smell his counterpart out.

The hanyou dumped the timber in a large pile on the corner of the porch, looking over the house. It was almost as good as the day he constructed it. The smell of wet wood was pungent, but it was better than the original stale air. Looking throughout, he found his companion gone, but a few sniffs and he found him on his high perch.

"What now, kid? We just supposed to sit and wait?"

"Unless you've got a better plan un," the blonde replied, tickling the underbelly of his sculpture as it drifted near to his nose. "The second he goes on the offense, Itachi's at a disadvantage un. His strategy is provocation and defense; if we can get him to attack us instead of the other way around, then we'll be able to get him with his defenses down un."

"Sounds alright. Bring the fight to us."


	5. A Burning Vengeance

Chapter 5

A Burning Vengeance

Crackling and popping, a large fire burned in a dug pit in the small clearing behind Inuyasha's house. The hanyou was poking impatiently at it while Deidara sat back, flicking the ends of his hair. The two had been sitting there for over an hour, going on about meaningless topics.

"So you mean to tell me you lived on your own since you were eight?"

"Well, eight in my years. See, it's like every two years, I get one year older, or something like that. I think I was 15 years old then. But yeah, mom died and my father was already dead, no one wanted me… so yeah, lived in the woods."

"Well I lived with my parents in a two story house till I was twelve. I got a hold on a forbidden jutsu that taught me the technique of making 'living' explosive sculptures. That's where I go these," Deidara said, raising his hands with the mouths face up. The tongues flicked playfully, and Inuyasha cringed jokingly. "Yeah, we lived upstairs while mom ran her pottery business downstairs."

Deidara stared into the fire as their combined quiet murmurs died away for a moment. He watched the flames dance and jump and split the timber, sending up a flurry of sparks like anti-snow.

"I suppose I always wanted to be more like my dad un. That's what the whole thing was about, stealing the forbidden scroll… My dad used a lot of fire and powder explosives in his work as a ninja, but he never really approved of much I was learning… I think he was upset that I had earth element chakras instead of fire like his since chakra elements run in the blood. I think he blamed mom though." The blonde still didn't take his eyes off of the fire, as if looking into the flames was like looking through a window into his past. "It seems silly, but that's why I wanted the clay explosive jutsu so badly un… it was a way I saw for him to finally approve of my studies un…"

"Did it work?" Inuyasha asked quietly, not wanting to interject too far into the shinobi's distant thoughts. "Did he… you know… approve?"

Deidara smirked and closed his eyes, tilting his head downwards, chuckling a bit at the irony of his youth.

"He was the one leading the party that hunted me down un."

"Ouch… well it's not like he laid the worlds' fate on your shoulders at birth. My father, Inu no Tashio, had three swords forged. When I was born, he promises the Tetsusaiga to me, the 'sword of earth', that can kill 100 demons in one swing. I'm supposed to protect humans according to him, and I had no say. It was decided for me to carry on this… this duty of protection."

"That sounds rough… I guess neither of us had the greatest of childhoods un, abandoned and exiled… but not unwanted… and that's what matters, right un?" Leaning back on his forearms, the blonde looked up at Inuyasha and smiled slightly. "You know, Inuyasha, I'm really glad I met you un."

"Yeah… it's nice. I mean, the others have their own lives now… it's nice to have friends. You're not that bad, kid." Inuyasha smiled, gaining one in response. A large log popped and collapsed under the other kindling's weight. Inuyasha sat back on his hands, looking up.

"They're really bright tonight."

"Yeah un… they are… it's probably because it's almost the new moon, see? You can barely make it out through the trees but it's just a little thumbnail un." The young man held up his thumb to the thin crescent of the moon that was hanging in the sky until it lined up with the end of his finger the way he must have done as a child. "The stars always look brighter without the moon un."

The skin on Inuyasha's neck prickled. Great, just what he needed.

"So soon… it was just full like two days ago."

"Well judging from the size it's about three nights away. It's easy to confuse."

"I thought I'd kept pretty good track of it… only three? You sure it's not a week?"

"Oh no, Inu, see," Deidara leaned over to him and pointed out the shape. "With only that much showing you can count the dark spots… see those three spots? Every time one disappears…" He quieted as he felt the other man's hot breath blowing against him. He hadn't realized how far he had leaned into him. Sitting up straight, Deidara smirked nervously and pulled at the collar of his cloak. "But yeah, I bet you knew that…"

The shinobi swallowed what he could of the moisture in his mouth. It was startling, to say the least, that all of a sudden, in the moment of closeness that Deidara could feel his heart lurch with his chest. It took him a moment to finally find his balance, hoping to whatever looked down from the heavens that Inuyasha had not noticed. In an attempt to recover, from his momentary lapse in judgment, the ninja quickly scrambled to change the subject while microscopically moving himself away from Inuyasha.

"So… yeah… this girl of yours… what was her name again un?"

Again the hanyou felt shivers run up his spine, and he found what courage he could to day her name again.

"...K-Kagome. And she's not my girl… well not like officially or anything, just… I don't know, it's complicated. Like, I love her… but, with the whole different worlds thing… it's hard. I couldn't ask her to give up her life back in her time, but…"

"Yeah," Deidara sighed, leaning back on his elbows, "I suppose the whole _'different worlds'_ thing would put a severe damper on any relationship potential… between you and Kagome un." The shinobi smiled slightly laying back and crossing his arms behind his head so that he could look up at the stars. "What do you think about me un?"

"How do you mean?

"Well, say I wanted to stick around here in the past. What would you say my odds would be of finding someone to settle down with un?"

Inuyasha hadn't given it much thought, but the situation did seem like an unsavory one.

"Well, depends."

"Depends on what?"

"Depends on how much of an idiot you are." Deidara growled humorously and pushed his comrade. Inu quickly shoved back. "I'm serious, kid. If you hang on to all of you world ideas, women will think you're crazy. I mean you're robes and hair and hands make you stand out already, so it will be tougher than normal." With his words the hanyou watched his guest slump more and more into what he thought was hopelessness. "But I think you could tie one up and marry her kicking and screaming."

"That would be great," Deidara said sarcastically, "except for the fact I don't like women."

"What do you mean?"

"What do you mean _'what do you mean?'_ un?" Deidara inquired sitting up again. "It's a simple fact. I am not attracted to women in that respect un." When Inuyasha continued to give him a mildly frightful and vastly confused face, Deidara sighed with exasperation. "Come on Inuyasha, you _must_ have homosexuals in this era, don't tell me you closed-minded fuckers are still burning them alive un."

"I don't know anything about burning anyone… but all I've seen is men with woman. I honestly don't think about that kind of stuff. So… what does that mean about Itachi?"

"Well Itachi well settle for whatever he has in reach, unfortunately the only woman in the Akatsuki is kept under lock and key by Pein-sama, so that leaves me being the youngest and sadly, the most attractive un." The shinobi sighed and let his shoulders slump a bit. "Itachi's always been kind of a bully because of his kekegenkai un. He's got Uchiha blood and that automatically makes him much more skilled than most other members of the organization un."

Deidara stood and took a few paces away from his comrade. "It's not something that I usually like to talk about… I don't know why I all of a sudden am telling this to you un… the 18th century is a sick time un."

"You should have been here a few years ago. This place way going to hell… but hopefully all we've got to worry about now is a head-strong human thinking he can rule the world. A few good kicks to the head should set him straight. So you've never liked women, like ever?"

"No, never. It's not something you just decide. I was born not liking woman, just like I assume you were born not liking men."

"Well I guess so," Inuyasha dragged on. "Like I said, I don't really think about that kinda thing. I only care about a small group of people, so that dating thing Kagome and Sango told me about doesn't sound of any interest to me. Too much work."

"Dating is for the desperate I think un. If two people were meant to be together, I would suspect that fate would put them together, you know un? That's the way I always thought about it, and if fate has decided that Itachi and I aren't meant, then I can only agree un." Suddenly the shinobi picked up a large log off of the pile and hurled it into the fire, knocking over what poor excuse for a pyramid he had built up earlier and sending embers and sparks in all directions. With that, Deidara turned on his heel and walked back towards the house.

Inuyasha was left to rebuild the smothered fire, letting Deidara stomp off his irritation. He knew the feeling all too well, and a few moments of steam was good for men, and woman alike, something he had learned roughly. Love was a fickle thing, and a very touchy subject for the both of them. But Inuyasha's only question was… why stay with someone you hate? What could possibly make someone take such abuse for nothing?

Deidara tore his own cloak off of his shoulders as he entered the house and threw it over himself as he sprawled himself on top of one of the futons. His mind was a raging storm of frustration and anger; mostly targeted at himself and his own foolhardiness. _'You stupid bastard'_ the ninja thought to himself _'fate's got nothing to do with it, you just have bad luck.'_ The blonde snorted and wrapped his cloak tightly around himself, turning to face the wall and fighting through the mal weather of his mind for a reprieve of sleep.

The fire was built back to a satisfying blaze and Inuyasha rubbed his hands impatiently. Ten minutes, that was what they had told him. Every time he got in trouble with Kagome, his friends had advised ten minutes to let her rant and then move on, but seeing as he was able to rebirth the fire and get to a relative toastiness, it was far over ten minutes.

"Alright, now he's just sulking. This is stupid." The man stood and dusted himself off, kicking a few clots of dirt onto the fire to restrain it. He trudged through the ankle high grass and stepped up to the porch, pulling open the back shoji to the bedroom. He found nothing, so Inuyasha ventured further. Looking into the dark living room, his canine eyes adjusted rapidly, and he looked around. The room was quiet and a large lump lay in atop the central futon, rising and falling slowly. Inuyasha pokes the mass with his foot, but a sleepy sigh was his only response. Heaving a sigh, the hanyou lowered himself onto his toes, resting his arms on bent knees. The dark cloak was warm under Inuyasha's fingers, and with subtlety he peeled it back.

"Kid, are you ok… oh." Under his shroud, the blonde shinobi was already fat asleep. Inuyasha watched as there came a wiggle in Deidara's nose, and a soft snort forced him to smile. "Tough day? Yeah… me too. Alright, I'll see you tomorrow, kid." The younger man stayed unconscious, and Inuyasha let him. It was late, and with a quick dousing of the fire, he'd follow soon after.

The night was calm and warm, full of the sounds of cicadas and crickets singing to the summer air. The melodious buzzing might have comforted the slumbering ninja had the incessant chirping not been so disturbing. Roused from his fowl-tempered slumber, Deidara rubbed his temples, finding his skull ringing with the sound of bugs and empty of some other sound he had grown so used to. With a frown creasing his lips, the blonde rolled onto his other side so that he could look around the room. Even though there was nearly no light, the ninja could tell by almost sheer intuition that the entire house was empty save for himself. With a low grumble, Deidara slammed his eyes shut and fought for sleep, but losing the battle, finally elected to find a new location and hopefully a more restful sleep.

His feet moving with expert stealth, the ninja slunk through the house in perfect silence. After traversing the house, Deidara eventually slid the shoji shut quietly behind himself, exiting the building out onto the porch. Poking his head around the corner, he found Inuyasha sitting cross-legged and leaned against the rear wall of the house. Blinking at the sleeping hanyou, Deidara weighed his options for a moment before finally curling up on the veranda not three feet from his host. Sleep came again to him quickly, lulled by the even sound of the half-demon's breathing.

Six serene hours passed with no activity. A perfectly clean and livable house was ignored for the plain, open vicinity of the deck as sleeping quarters. The two men slumbered through the continued concerto of wildlife until the skies gained one hew towards the morn. The body of the hanyou rattled with waking, and a wide yawn brought him fully out of his sleep. His internal clock was annoying, and looking about he knew it would be hours until any normal creature would be awake. Popping a few of his bones, Inuyasha trying to shrug off fatigue with his stretches and deep breathes. From the corner of his eye he caught the sight of something near him, not having been there when he had gone to sleep. He turned and almost jumped at the sight of his guest, sleeping outdoors… right next to him. Hadn't he fallen asleep inside? Inu leaned over and looked Deidara over, finding his breathing pattern to be too slow to fake.

The blonde was curled up like a cat, his arms folded underneath his cheek and his legs bent beside him so that they too were covered by his cloak as well. His nose twitched, but otherwise the shinobi did not stir from his sleep, his chest rising and falling evenly as he continued his slumber, oblivious to the waking world around him. There was a tiny, fluttering movement that caught Inuyasha's attention. At first the half demon had thought a leaf had detached from a tree above and danced its way down to land on the other man, but upon further inspection, he found a tiny, snow white butterfly alighted on Deidara's shoulder.

The tiny insect opened and closed its wings slowly as if it was aware of the half demon watching. The butterfly leaped into the air suddenly, gliding on the warm breeze, its pristine, white wings flitting only slightly as it drifted towards Inuyasha as if honing in on the man's nose.

Swatting his hand halfheartedly at the thing, Inuyasha inspected it further as its tiny limbs held tight to his pointer finger. Rolling his wrist, he was entertained watching the minuscule creature hold tight, and even brave being upside down as Inuyasha held his hand to its opposite side. But as the fun began the butterfly grew tired of the game and released its grasp, fluttering back to the less active resident, choosing a perch of golden locks instead.

The world was simple for an instant, a quiet little section of time were nothing mattered. The hanyou, still young for his age, looked about the early world and let his mind wander. He didn't have many times like this, with a blank space in his mind to simply wonder about things, and with this new man in his life a whole new batch of problems to solve presented themselves. What would become of this young male, assuming he had his way and ridded himself of the cancer of Itachi? Would he find what he was looking for in this new and foreign world? And better yet, what was he looking for? He had spoken of a simple life, but looking back to his slumbering body, Inuyasha had his doubts. Who could blame him? Inuyasha knew very little about the blonde, and for all he knew, it could all be an act. But with a heavy sigh, the hanyou highly doubted a betrayal.

The tiny, snow white insect picked its way slowly down the blonde man's tresses, disturbing the golden bangs only slightly as it made its way to rest on Deidara's nose. The creature's wings opened and closed, barely touching the shinobi's cheeks with the very tips of its wings. A slight grunt escaped the younger man's lips as he scrunched his nose and fidgeted in his sleep. Slowly, Deidara's eyes came open, and with a groan of protest he swatted his nose abruptly, snatching the tiny butterfly off of his face and smashing it in his hand, groggily dropping a small wad of white clay.

Inuyasha fought the urge to greet him, seeing Dei's eyes still heavy. As expected, with the distraction gone Dei fell back asleep, sighing happily. The sound rang in the shells of his ears, and he didn't know how to react. Since he'd met this young man just the day before last, there had been an unhappy mood hovering around him, but in that quick instant he sounded content, void of the problems ahead. The sound was unsettling, for no apparent reason. Inu raked his brain for a reason a simple noise affected him, but nothing came. It had sounded… right. Appealing. He moved on to other thoughts.

The morning chugged on and in his own time, roughly a half hour later, Deidara was on his feet, stretching out his aching muscles and performing a few brief exercises as he readied himself to the day. The shinobi washed his face with a few hands full of water and tidied his hair with his fingers before preparing an edible breakfast of fried ham and leek. The sun still had yet to throw its first few rays of light over the curve of the earth but the skies above were beginning to turn purple with the promise of the new day.

Inuyasha had busied himself with watching the man wake and fiddle with his daily routine, having nothing better to do until the sun rose. The sky lit up as the pair ate breakfast in the open air, looking across the clearing as birds gathered for their breakfast. Finishing off his bite, the hanyou glanced at his guest.

"So why didn't you stay inside last night?"

The blonde man shrugged slightly, waiting to finish off a bite of onion before he gave his response. In the meantime, Deidara held up his chopsticks as if to tell his companion he intended to respond in a moment. After he had finished his mouthful, the blonde cleared his throat slightly and nodded.

"I intended to sleep inside through the night, but the damn bugs woke me up un." Deidara gave a half-hearted laugh. "Anyway, don't take this the wrong way, but I find it hard to go back to sleep after waking up if I can't hear the sound of someone breathing un…"

"That's weird," Inuyasha snorted, taking another mouthful. He chewed his morsel to mush, shrinking back as Deidara glared at him. "What?"

The shinobi only narrowed his eyes at Inuyasha and followed suit by filling his mouth with more of the salted breakfast, chewing ruefully as if telling the other man he should know.

"I've lived with at least one other person my entire life, I've grown accustomed to the sound of other people un."

The thought was strange, seeing as he had lived on his own for so long that being alone was second nature. Breathing as comfort? He could only dream of complete quiet form his sensitive ears, so this man's need for noise was silly.

"Whatever. You've never slept alone?"

"Not much," the blonde snorted, "even as a kid I always wanted to sleep in the same bed as my parents un." The shinobi cleared away his dishes after cramming the last of his breakfast into his mouth, swallowing hastily. "That was a long time ago though un."

"Still… why haven't you lived alone? Isn't that, like… the manly thing to do?"

There was suddenly a very dark silence as Deidara stiffened, squaring his shoulders off and staring ahead of himself as if in total disbelief. Slowly his head turned so that he was looking at Inuyasha with eyes full of sudden bloodlust.

"What was that again un?"

Inuyasha had seen that face before. Instinctively holding his hands defensively before him, he cringed back.

"What? I don't know how men from your time act, but being with men isn't the more masculine thing around here."

"So you're saying I'm not a man un?" Deidara was on his feet in a heartbeat, glaring daggers down at his host as if in the hopes that he might succeed in murdering Inuyasha if he glared. Suddenly the ninja was seething with pure, cold anger; the half-demon could hear the ninja's teeth grinding all throughout his body.

"Whoa, calm down! All I'm saying is, men from around here don't act like you do... well there was that one- never mind. Why are getting so worked up? Why do you care what I think?"

"I don't care what you think," Deidara spat back, still glaring with cold fury. "Just as long as you keep your own damn thoughts to your own damn self un."

Deidara quickly stormed away to the inside of the house, leaving his host to retract from his anticipation of a fight. He could hear the blonde stomping around the wooden floors and rummaging through things, and when Inuyasha assumed he had found what he was looking for, he heard the angry man return and storm outside. He held an empty bucket in each hand, and Deidara turned swiftly on his heel to glare back at the elder man.

"I'm going for water. I don't think this is too manly for me to handle. Find something useful to do, will ya? I'll be back… eventually un."

With that Deidara was off, not looking over his shoulder as he marched down the narrow ribbon of trail Inuyasha had taken the day prior to fetch water. The proud shinobi cursed under his breath for much of the walk to the river eventually falling into an angry silence. By the time he had reached the river bank, the heat of his anger had mostly cooled and he was prepared to make the long journey back and make amends.

The brook bubbled at its edges and the sound eased Deidara more. Dipping the first bucket in, the current pulled at the pail and it almost slipped from his hand. Paying careful attention, he filled it and set it aside, grabbing the other.

"Ready to go home, kintori-kun?"

The air in Deidara's lungs turned to frost and he struggled to breathe. That name, that tone, it could only be one person, and that fact alone let his grip on the bucket go slack, letting the water yank it from his grasp. The young man's head whipped hastily to his left, finding Itachi perched comfortably in a nearby tree, staring him down with those bloody eyes.

Before he could think what else to do, the blonde shinobi's mind screamed one command and he obeyed. RUN! As fast as his fleet feet could carry him, Deidara bolted, adrenaline pushing him to flee like a terrified hare from the fox close behind. If there was one thing he was thankful for, it was that on any good day, the younger shinobi could outrun the Uchiha, if only barely. In battle there was no chance, so his only option was to make it back to the house and Inuyasha without being caught. The blonde shinobi could feel his heart pounding in his chest, reaching up all the way into his throat, making it difficult for him to call out to his counterpart, to let him know that the battle had arrived.

Coming on the house in a flash, he had little time to plan the next few steps, but spotting Inuyasha still sitting on the back porch as he rounded to the rear of the house, he followed through with pure instinct. The next few seconds were chaotic, as the blonde grabbed Inuyasha's sleeve without a word and yanked him up, pulling him along as he continued his run. He then skidded in the dirt and turned tail, yanking the other body with him. Pushing all his leg strength into his movements, Deidara jolted to the southwest side corner of the house, out of view.

"What the fu-" Inuyasha tried to yell, but a forced hand shut off his words. The hanyou struggled under the grip, but a distracting lick from the forgotten palm-hand shut down his thoughts instantly.

"_Shhhh," _the blonde man hissed into Inuyasha's pointed ear, _"Itachi found me at the river, and I'm sure he's followed me back here. Once he knows where we are, he will revert to his passive-offensive strategy and use his genjutsus un. We need a plan. Please tell me you've got your sword with you."_

Deidara finally released the hanyou's mouth so that he could answer, putting his faith in the other man that he would know to stay quiet.

"Yeah, just laying over there," Inuyasha murmured, pointing it out on the other corner of the wooden wrap-around. Before the shinobi could react, Inuyasha moved from the hidden corner to retrieve it, and as his hand wrapped around the sheath Inuyasha's right ear twitched. His muscles contracted and as the heat from an oncoming blast warmed him, he pulled his cloth-armored arm up to block. The force knocked him off the elevation of the deck, but he recovered quickly into a fighting stance in the long grass.

Itachi peered down at the half demon from his vantage point, perched like cunning feline on a low hanging tree branch. The enemy ninja gave Inuyasha his full apathy, showing no shift in his face or behavior even as he swung down off the branch and landed nimbly in the grass below.

"I believe you have something of mine, cur" the Uchiha said in deep voice as he took a few, painfully slow steps towards Inuyasha.

"Who the hell are you, rodent, coming here? I don't have anything of yours, you bastard. Why don't you come over here and fight like a man instead of hiding with the trees like a bitch." Latching his swords' sheath to his side, Inuyasha unleashed the Tetsusaiga to its full size, pointing it threateningly at his opponent.

Itachi continued to advance slowly, one sandaled foot so achingly deliberately after the other.

"I'm not here to joke, mutt." Itachi's voice was calm and cold and still his eyes did not move from where they were trained on Inuyasha. "You will forfeit Deidara to me…" the ninja's hands flew like lighting through a series of hand signs, and before Inuyasha could react, his foe spewed flames from between his lips like the breath of a dragon. Inuyasha raised the sleeve of his robe again, but this time the attack wasn't directed at him.

Opening his eyes again after the attack failed to hit, Inuyasha flinched to see the flames of Itachi's attack burning in the grass just in front of his porch, licking at the wood and dyeing the veranda's edges black. "Or I will reduce your home to nothing but ash."

In a desperate attempt, the hanyou stomped the flame out, letting his mind slip form the battle to his attachment to the symbol of the house; Kagome. The flames licked at his rough feet, not affecting them by their weathered nature from years of bare-footedness. Inuyasha's temper got the best of him, and he swung his body around to send the Wind Scar at the older Akatsuki member.

As the attack came surging towards him, Itachi moved slightly, shimmering like a mirage or dancing like a flame as the attack passed through him without making contact. Instead the hanyou's attack sliced through the trees behind his intended target, cutting them down at the ankles and causing the old members of the forest to groan and topple. A russet elm tree sagged forward and spun on its edge slightly as it fell, tumbling earthwards with the half demon's porch directly below.

Cursing himself, the hanyou made another slice at the trees top, letting the trunk fall short. But in the few milliseconds of victory, he had forgotten the heavy branches, which still came crashing down towards the house. But in an instant they were blasted away from a force from the roof, and sent towards the open clearing. Inuyasha looked up, and standing tall was Deidara, taking the high ground and watching for Itachi.

The blonde man smiled down at his comrade for a moment and nodded as if silently promising to keep Inuyasha's home as safe as he could. The hanyou returned the nod briefly, in turn agreeing to protect his ninja counterpart as well as his power would allow.

Still the distraction had provided enough interruption in their focus for Itachi to have escaped either man's line of sight. There was a fluttering of wings and the hoarse screech of a crow in the treetops, causing Inuyasha to whip his head around to see the origin of the noise. Before he could find his target, the entire forest around the home was alive with the squawking of a thousand crows. The black birds swarmed out of the trees like a black cloud, screeching and teeming with feathers and beady eyes.

The birds encircled Inuyasha and his counterpart, as images of Itachi seemed to lurch through the flock as if he was fading in and out in bits and pieces. The Uchiha's left hand would snatch at Deidara, retreating before it could be beaten off while his right hand thrust a glinting katana at Inuyasha's belly, vanishing as it was deflected.

Inuyasha batted at the bodies of black birds, making contact a few times. In an instant, there was silence, and the hanyou ventured a look, finding the birds to be gone, along with their master.

It was almost as if every living thing in the forest around them had died. There wasn't a single sound, not a creature took a breath, all the humming insects and singing birds had fled from the sounds of falling trees and the smell of smoke.

Inuyasha peered into the dense blackness of the woods, trying to find the enemy within the thick mat of vegetation. There was a sound like a low whistle from the left and Inuyasha snapped his head around and leaped in the air just in time for a black kunai knife to come screaming out of the forest trailing a paper ribbon behind it. The paper seal, at first looked like a sutra used by Inuyasha's monk friend, but the blood red edge smoldered and gave off a thick, sulfur smell.

From the rooftop Deidara shouted to his comrade, knowing full well the weaponry used by his enemy.

"Inuyasha! Look-" Too late. The paper bomb exploded into a blinding flash, scorching the ground all around where Inuyasha had been standing only moments before, shattering parts of the deck nearby with the force of the blast. The explosion left behind a sulfur haze that filled the clearing with a yellow smog that stung the two defending men's eyes, noses and throats.

Overtaken by the overload of his heightened senses, Inuyasha collapsed to the ground, coughing loudly and desperately covering his face with his sleeve. Deidara did the same from the rooftop, but managed to keep an eye open through the smog to see Itachi closing in. With muscle memory, the young shinobi pulled a wad of clay from his side pocket and chewed vigorously, shaping it thoughtlessly into a plain wren and flung it in his partner's direction. Closing his eyes and mouth from the smoke, Deidara motioned through his hand signs, and heard the bird explode.

There was a groaning shortly after, and the younger shinobi could feel the building beneath him shift slightly. He dared to open his eyes, seeing that the exploded C4 had made a large dent in the stinging gas Itachi's bomb had released. What else he saw made Deidara's heart sink slightly; the force of the blast had thrown Itachi back into the trees, but had also taken Inuyasha off of his feet and destroyed one of the support beams that held the roof up around the veranda. Without the needed column, part of the roofing had collapsed, spilling wooden shingles into the smoldering grass below.

Seeing the raven haired shinobi recovering quickly, Deidara shouted down to his partner again, trying to rouse him out of his shellshock.

"Inuyasha! Get on your feet un! Itachi's coming back!"

With the air cleared of all but the black smoke, Inu shook his head and climbed to his feet, taking up his trusted sword again. But the scene before him almost knocked him to his knees again, seeing the veranda falling apart and on the verge of total collapse. He growled and spotted his adversary again. Pulling the Tetsusaiga over his shoulder, Inuyasha threw another Wind Scar at his direction, and again the shift shinobi darted out of sight.

"Stop running and fight me, you fucking coward!" Inuyasha screamed.

Itachi was moving with such blinding speed that wherever Inuyasha thought he saw the raven haired man, as soon as he looked there, the enemy had vanished again. Inuyasha gritted his teeth and lashed out in all directions with his mighty sword, trying to trip Itachi and or strike him just as he arrived in the place of one attack. Still the hanyou whipped his head around as he tried to follow the blurred movements of the enemy ninja. From the roof, Deidara was doing the same, but having much more success tracking the Uchiha than his untrained ally, watching the rogue shinobi move like shadow that fades in and out of sight.

"Stop looking for him un" Deidara commanded from the roof. "If you can't follow him, then you can't follow him and he will only tire and confuse you. Let him come to you un."

As Deidara advised this, Inuyasha was thrown to the left, a swift punch connecting with his jaw. He tumbled for a moment, recovering after being knocked against a tree trunk. But taking the tip, he waited until the Uchiha was before him, ready to make another blow. Inu was able to sneak in a swing, upper cutting Itachi and sending him away.

The raven haired male went sliding across the ground, throwing up dirt and stones in all directions as he dug his toes into the soil. Without a sound, he leapt into the trees overhead, disappearing into the canopy as if retreating to recover from the shock of having received a blow. The momentary lapse in battle gave Inuyasha a much needed reprieve to catch his breath and ready himself for yet another attack.

Looking about, he scrambled towards his house and called out for Deidara.

"What's the plan? I can keep him busy if you wanna try something. But you better make it fast, he's coming back!" With that he ran back out into the center of the clearing, met by the dark shinobi in a series of blows.

As the two enemies struggled in a hand-to-hand exchange of punches and blocks, Deidara was fast at work on yet another sculpture. Before it seemed it could be possible, the blonde man was straddling the neck of a pure-white hawk. The young shinobi knew for a fact, that even if Itachi wasn't looking at him, the other man could tell what he was doing and where he was at, at this point it was merely a matter of wearing the Uchiha down.

Deidara circled the battling duo once before his mount dove, his altitude plummeting abruptly. With a wide grin on his face, the Iwa nin pressed his hands into a series of seals and declared victory quite loudly before his throat erupted with clay. Like something from a horror film, the shinobi produced a wave of thick, white clay from his mouth, striking Itachi squarely from behind and coating the Uchiha from crown to foot in the heavy, earthy substance.

Inuyasha was quick to run away, but Itachi followed after him. Looking at Deidara's situation, the raven-hair knew Deidara wasn't about to blow the both of them up. Movements were hard with the thick goop covering his body, but somehow Itachi kept up with Inuyasha, chasing after him like a little boy with a bug would. As he sprung after the hanyou, he could feel some of the clay slip away.

Inuyasha growled and ran harder between the trees, bouncing hard off of them in attempts to lose the threat.

"God damnnit Deidara, just blow him sky high already!"

"Inuyasha, tuck and roll un!" Deidara shouted as he finally gave up with the waiting, knowing that there would be too little of the explosive clay stuck to Itachi if he took much more time. The liquid clay suddenly ignited all at once, hitting the hanyou full force in the back with a powerful shockwave and a blast of burning hot air.

Inu went tumbling across the clearing to the start of wood on the other side, slamming hard into a trunk. His vision went blurry for a few breaths. The blood was beginning to rush to his face, and as he opened his eyes he realized he had landed upside-down. The weight of his body made him crumbled painfully, but Inuyasha shook his head and looked out. What he saw made his heart lurch.

Deidara was running to him, and he crouched next to him, grabbing roughly on his arms to hoist him up.

"Inuyasha, get up, un! He's not down! Inuyasha!"

But the silver-hair couldn't hear him. He was too fixed on the scene of his home, burning to the ground.

Finally giving up on the hope of pulling Inuyasha to his feet, the younger ninja hoisted his companion up onto his shoulder with a grunt of effort. "Come _on_ Inuyasha, we don't have time for this. Come on get up, get up un!" Even as he struggled to his feet however, Itachi's shadow fall over him and the other man on his shoulders.

"A fickle thing, fire" came the low voice of the raven haired man, raising one eyebrow as Deidara looked up at him with fear in his eyes. Knocking the hanyou aside, the elder shinobi took a hold of the blonde man's throat with one hand, delivering a swift punch to his gut with the other. With a wheezing sound as the air was knocked out of his chest, the youngest men tried his best to land a kick on Itachi's chest or to shove the enemy off, but to no avail as his attacks were knocked away. "It burns both wood and flesh so wonderfully."

Deidara clutched at the other man's wrist and tried to yank the offending hand away, but still failed as it only earned a tighter grip around his throat.

A few feet away, Inuyasha was still in a sense of shock, but a grunt from beside him caught his attention. He looked to find Deidara in Itachi's grip, and he couldn't help but claw at the soft soil.

"Kick his ass, kid! Fight, goddamnit!"

Deidara struggled, kicking his legs as Itachi lifted him into the air if only by a few inches. The Uchiha smirked as the other man squeezed his eyes shut and struggled to get a breath. The younger man's hands reached out and he grabbed for his attacker, trying to get a hold of Itachi someplace vital which he could use as leverage, but only barely managed to get his fingertips pressed into the other man's throat.

The blonde ninja took in a deep, strangled breath, and suddenly the ends of his digits fused to Itachi's skin. Where the enemy shinobi's hand was gripping at the blonde's throat, the skin on Itachi's palm became fused with the artist's neck. With his eyes closed, his head thrown back and his lips spread into a wide grin, the rogue Iwa ninja shouted his signature phrase before exploding in a bright flash of light.

The hanyou was barely able to cover his face from the blast, but a body was quickly behind him, tugging him along. Inuyasha scrambled to his feet and followed the real Deidara away from the blast, glancing back angrily at what looked like a burnt corpse. But the blackened Uchiha stood shakily, only to flash a few hand signs and vanish in a flock of his ravens.

Deidara finally fell back onto his back in what looked like relieved collapse, letting his breaths come easily once again.

"I can't feel his chakra signature any more un. He's gone. He's retreated. We won un… holy shit I… we beat Itachi un…" Deidara rolled his head from side to side and flailed his arms and legs as if making a snow-angel in the grass. "Great Kami above un! I never thought this would happen un!"

As the blonde laughed at their success, the elder man simply kneeled beside him, watching the flames devour the small building. Deidara smiled at Inuyasha, but stopped and looked as well.

"Oh… Inuyasha, I'm sorry about-"

"It's just a house."

The other man huffed and laid back down again, this time folding his hand behind his blonde mop of hair. He stared up at the sky, unable to hold back his elation completely, even if the house had been lost in battle.

"You know Inuyasha… we're probably the first people ever to beat Itachi un… HA! I only wish we could have done it back in the 18th century… we'd be heroes un!" Deidara smiled and nudged the other man with his knee as if trying to pick up his mood. "Couse you know all about what it's like to be a hero un, but it's not exactly what I'm used to, you know un?" He paused for a moment before breathing a quiet 'wow' and letting it go at that.

The pair sat there as the house crackled and burned, heating the air around them.

"Now what," Inuyasha grumbled. "The woods or bunking with the old hag?"

"All the food was in that house, so I vote a quick trip back to the village to restock… maybe get a little less this time just in case un." Deidara sat up and shook his hair, relieving it of a cloud of ash from the several blasts during battle. "Other than that, I wouldn't mid crashing in a cave this time around un. That old miko kind of gave me the creeps un!" The younger man chuckled to himself, resting his hand against the shiny metal forehead protector for a moment before letting his hand fall again.

Inuyasha smirked and kicked a stick into the inferno, taking a stand. Deidara followed and dusted the cinders from the blast off his cloak. He noticed some ash on Inuyasha's shoulder, and he leaned over and dusted it off. Inuyasha flinched from him, but Deidara smiled began walking towards the road.


	6. By the Water's Edge

Chapter 6

By the Water's Edge

Their walk back up the road to the village was very quiet, Deidara not wanting to press his luck seeing that Inuyasha was already upset over the loss of his house. Instead the blonde shoved his hands into the bags on his hips and occupied his restless fingers with the crumbly, explosive powder. The village approached quickly though; more so that the ninja seemed to remember, though perhaps the journey to the house had been drawn out by the impending battle.

Kids were playing in the streets, running and laughing at some silly game, but they stopped momentarily to watch the new arrivals. The rapidly broke out into whispers and giggles, knowing full well whom the approaching hanyou was, but couldn't help but gossip about the other man. Inuyasha passed by with no mind, but Deidara looked at them as they passed. He smiled, and the children giggled and smiled back. They were upon the miko's hut in no time, and Inuyasha let himself in.

Deidara followed in, however reluctantly, and was immediately hit with a hot wave of air that was simply laden with the scent of food. The elderly priestess sat hunched over a pot of bubbling stew, stirring in a few diced vegetables while she waited for the meat to simmer into perfection. The younger ninja couldn't help but close his eyes for a moment as he drunk in the scent, unable to stop his mouth from watering or his stomach from rumbling in protest to its emptiness. The proud ninja would be the last man to ask for food from an old woman, however, and left the notion alone.

The elderly woman smiled at their entry and continued with her food.

"My it's nice to see you again, Inuyasha and Deidara-sama. Why the visit?"

"Deidara's friend burned down my house."

Kaede's good eye widened and she set down her spoon.

"Oh dear. Are you alright?"

"Itachi didn't manage but a few scrapes and bruises," Deidara said. "Nothing that a good night's rest won't fix. But all of our supplies were caught in the fire, so-"

"Say no more. Here Deidara, go get what you need while I speak with Inuyasha." She rummaged through the storage cabinet and pulled out Inuyasha's money stash, and handed him a small sack.

"I'll be back soon un," the younger man replied, bowing politely as he quit the scene, ducking as he pulled back the cloth door and slipped outside. He was thankful, of course, that the weather was permissible, and with the defeat of his long-time oppressor, Deidara's mood could hardly climb higher, even with the prospect of fresh food for his complaining belly. There was an extra length in his stride as he took the more familiar walk through the quaint village to their market.

Inuyasha sighed and laid himself out on the wooden floor.

"Alright, what is it old woman?"

"Inuyasha… how are you doing?"

"Hm?"

"Well your house is destroyed and it must not be easy…"

Inuyasha grunted and he rolled to his other side, away from her.

"Feh, I didn't use it anyway. We'll just use caves and forest for now until I figure something out."

"Inuyasha, I know what the house meant to you, and I just think-"

"Save it," the hanyou cut in. "I don't wanna hear it. It was just a stupid house, nothing else. If I have to, I'll rebuild the damn thing, but not till I kill that weasel first. He's no good, and I'm not gonna wait till he kills Deidara to do something about it."

Deidara was taking his time browsing through the prosperous abundance in the local market. The growing season was in full-fever; stocks were high and prices were low. The ninja had to stop himself from loading too many rations onto his shoulders this time, but all the different foods were very hard to resist while he held another man's money. Somehow he managed to stay the urge, however, and began to make his way back with only one bag of food thrown over his shoulder, but that's not to say that the one bag was sparse on variety.

Back inside the small hut, the old woman blew out her fire and tested her broth.

"You seem to have a particular interest in this young man. What are your intentions?"

Inuyasha sat himself up and looked to the door. Hearing no footsteps outside, he grimaced.

"I... I don't know. I barely know the guy but… I can't let him go back to his death. That's what he told me. If he returns, his team will be the end of him. Normally I could care less, but…" Inuyasha growled and balled his fist. "Man, Kagome and her stupid guilt." Kaede hummed questioningly. "Well, I mean… Kagome would want me to help. She'd get pissed at me and help him out, right? I figure… I figure if I help him out, then he won't need the well, and it could get fixed. Plus… she'll make me feel bad if I sit back and ignore this."

"It is a very noble venture for you indeed, Inuyasha. Perhaps you are finally growing out of your immaturity. It seems a very _mature_ thing to do, helping this stranger, just don't find yourself getting too attached to him. As kind as he may seem, I'm quite sure he has plans for his life after this trouble which may not include you, Inuyasha."

Bringing the spoon to her lips, the priestess took a tentative taste of the hot broth before returning the utensil to the pot and searching through several nearby spice jars for the desired ingredient.

"Well I don't figure he'll venture far without someone else with him. He said he hasn't spent the night alone in forever, and the guy can't even sleep without someone breathing. How weird is that?"

"Well, children have that trait, but as soon as an adult forces them, they quickly grow out of it."

"Yeah, well he's like me. Left home at an early age, but he kept shaking up with people. Kinda makes sense. That's why I can live in the woods so easily. Never had anyone, so I'm not missing anything. But I don't know about getting attached or anything. I've always been ok on my own, and that hasn't changed."

"I don't know about that, Inuyasha. An entire year of living on the road with a group of friends may have changed that."

"Yeah, but three years alone made up for it. I don't need anyone."

"No one except Lady Kagome." Kaede whispered.

There was a creek on the step just outside as if announcing that if the conversation continued, it would no longer be private. Again ducking as he pushed aside the curtain in Kaede's doorway, Deidara entered into the priestess's hut unapologetically, dropping his heavy sack of food at Inuyasha's side and letting the small sack of gold fall into the hanyou's lap.

"So, did I miss anything important, or were you two ladies just swapping gossip while I was gone un?" The ninja smiled as he took a seat on the other side of his gunnysack, resting one forearm on top of it as if in victory.

"We were just waiting on your slow poke ass, kid. Looks like you didn't load up. You sure that's gonna be enough food for you?" Inuyasha sat himself up and snatched the spoon form the pot, taking a taste. It scorched his tongue making him yelp, and Deidara sniggered while Kaede seized her spoon back.

"Since we're gonna be cave-hopping in the woods, I figured I'd just get the stuff you can't hunt for, so basically, I got a lot of rice, beans and fruits un." Deidara nodded briefly to his bag of foodstuffs, "I'm kind of banking on some game in the forest with this, of course you don't have to get all your own food Inuyasha. This stuff is for the both of us un."

"Whatever. Alright, we got what we needed. We're heading out now. Hopefully we won't be back too soon." Inuyasha climbed to his feet and snatched up the large sack, making his way out.

"Don't be strangers. Will you be alright, Deidara-sama? The woods are not the safest of places."

Giving the elder woman a small, polite bow, the ninja assured her quickly that he would be able to handle whatever the woods could dish out. With a nod in reply from the priestess, Deidara turned and quickly caught up with his companion as they set off in search of a new place to set up camp. The shinobi tried not to be the first to drum up conversation, hoping that Inuyasha would show his more social side, but after a good twenty minutes of near silent travel, he couldn't help himself any longer.

"So you have a place in mind or are we just gonna poke around until we find a place with a roof and no bears un?"

"I'm not worried about bears. They're no good at hiding and don't come out at night. It's the little things with nasty bites that crawl around nonstop that I hate. There aren't' very many caves, but there are a few pockets in the hillside that will work. They aren't that deep, but we might have to chase off a few foxes or maybe a bear. Anyway, we might have to move around."

"Why?"

"Because food doesn't stay in the same place. If we camp out in one spot, they'll get wise and it'll take longer to go hunting."

"You say that like you expect us to be camping out for weeks un. How long do you really plan for this to get dragged on? Can't we just, you know, kick Itachi's ass back to the well and put a big rock on it or something un?" Deidara gave the other man a look like he didn't understand why Inuyasha would want to drag something like this out so far.

"Look, big rocks don't keep people out, I should know- but my question is how hard is he gonna fight to get you back? If he's willing to burn houses and beat bystanders, then I don't think a quick ass kicking will keep him away. I've been thinking… how bad do you hate this guy?"

"I hate him enough un," Deidara grumbled in reply, "and if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not talk about why un." With a brooding look on his face, the ninja stared at his feet and crammed his hands into his side bags once again, totally turning away from the conversation.

"Whatever, my thing is… it might get to the point that he needs to be taken out. I'm not going to mess with this guy if he's going take his anger out on people around him. I'm not gonna lie… if he comes here again, I'm not afraid to kill him. I just wanna know if you're going to stop me."

With a grunt the other man kicked at a stone in the dust, sending it sailing into the vegetation.

"Whatever way this goes down, I'd much rather killing him come last on the list behind putting a big rock on top of the stupid old well un. I mean yes he's got some problems, yes, and he may pose a very large challenge, and maybe that can't be helped, but let's take first things first and work our way down the options un. It would make me feel better at least."

"Why would you spare him? I can't think of a reason to. That's like me finding a reason to spare Naraku. There's no point. Let's just end him and get it over with-"

"No, you're not listening un. Demons and people are completely different. Demons have the capability of being completely evil, humans do not, I think un." Deidara sighed slightly and let his shoulders slump forward a bit. "As hard as it may be to believe, there is still a scrap of good in Itachi somewhere… it's just a matter of finding it, digging it out and saving it un."

"Well you better find it and save it before he meets the edge of Tetsusaiga. If it comes down to it and he hasn't changed, I'm not going to hold back. That's how it is." Inuyasha re-slung the bag over his shoulder, taking his stand on the Uchiha issue. "Look, I'm all for second chances… but that only goes so far. You may fix mislead people, but you can't fix evil."

To this, the rogue shinobi only nodded his understanding, allowing the conversation to drop at that. A few more minutes continued on while both men said nothing, the stale silence resurrecting between the both of them.

"So this well un… any idea how we're gonna fix it un?"

"No idea. I don't have any idea how the damn thing works. I thought it had something to do with the Shikon jewel, but obviously that's not it, seeing as it doesn't exist anymore. And the only two people who could possibly know are a girl that isn't here, and an asshole on a rampage. So no, got nothing planned. You got any ideas?"

"Are you kidding un?" Deidara snorted with a bit too much offense, "I'm still not sure I buy the whole bit about pixy dust and magic un." Rolling his shoulders as if to flex them or to shake off the thought of mystics dominating this alternate time, he gave Inuyasha another sideways look. "So no, I haven't got the foggiest idea how to fix your magic time machine un."

"Whatever, kid. It's your funeral you can't understand the way the world works. Demons aren't gonna care if you believe in their powers when they're chewing on your head. Humans may outnumber demons now, but that doesn't make them any less dangerous. Humans don't often outmatch demons, but I've seen it done. Humans are better off leaving well alone."

"So where does that put you then un?" the blonde nudged Inuyasha gently with his elbow. "You gonna eat me too or what un? What makes you associate with humans and all, with claws like those you could be top dog un… why stick around a village of peasants?"

"What part of 'half-breed' do you not get? I'm not top dog for a reason. My strength and skill make me better than humans, but not enough for demons. Truth be told, humans don't exactly see me as a friend. A lot of people in Kaede's village… they still despise me. I wasn't always the hero or whatever. A while ago… about fifty years ago… I did something pretty bad to them. They were just trying to protect something, and I took it. I paid for it in the end, but still… the storied didn't go away. I know I won't get their full trust, but it's gotten better since Naraku's death." Inuyasha sighed contently, but then bonked the other man on his head. "And no, I won't eat you. You'd taste bad."

Deidara came up short in his walking.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean un?" he snapped indignantly before taking a few long strides to catch back up and continue the journey at Inuyasha's shoulder. He gave the half demon an insistent look as if demanding reasoning why the ninja seemed unfit to be eaten, which was altogether strange.

"You're too dirty and tough to taste remotely good. That's just my opinion." Inuyasha couldn't help but crack a smile. "Plus there's not enough meat on your bones to make even a mouthful."

"Is that so un?" The proud ninja growled narrowing his eyes, his lips turning into a devious kind of smirk. "You wanna say that to my guns un?" Without waiting for a reply, Deidara rolled back his right sleeve and flexed his bicep, stretching the gruesome scar across his skin.

"What… these scrawny things. Not even enough to feed a baby rat demon." Inuyasha poked at the disfigured flesh. "But I bet they could make great toothpicks." He chuckled and looked out into the horizon, letting Deidara steam and fume next to him.

What he wasn't expecting was for the younger man to suddenly snatch the sack of food off of his back. Deidara slung the heavy rations across his shoulders and narrowed his eyes at the hanyou as if challenging him to call him scrawny again.

He simply tucked his hands into his sleeves, watching the younger man struggle to keep the bag on his shoulder.

"So where are you gonna live after Itachi is dealt with?"

Nearly losing the rations as he tried to shrug, Deidara quickly began to carry the bag of food across both shoulders as if he was carrying a victim away from a fire.

"I'm not sure. I was hoping that running all over this stupid island with you would give me some good ideas to raise a house un." Smiling up at the half demon, Deidara couldn't help but chuckle a little to himself. "That reminds me, if I help you rebuild your house, will you help me build one of my own un?"

"I don't know about that, but we'll see. It might be a while, but nothing is impossible. Where would you live?"

"I don't hardly know the lay of the land to say for sure, but wherever I'd say within an hour's walk from the nearest settlement though, I'm not the biggest fan of crowds un. Of course, when it comes right down to it, if I scratch you back, I expect you to scratch mine back un. That's what friends do, get it un?"

"I suppose. But me getting rid of your problem would be your scratch… what would mine be?"

"I'm gonna come up with some way to fix your well problem of course un." Feeling proud of his future good-deed, the ninja gave his companion a wide grin, nodding to show that he had a very arguable point.

"Alright. But if you can't figure it out, you're going to build my house. It is kind of your fault it got burned to the ground."

Deidara frowned and grunted at the half demon, his eyebrow quirking as if to ask if the other man was saying this in total frankness.

"Seems a little harsh, doncha think un? I mean you're not the only one working against Itachi here… I doubt you were the only one to build your house in the first place un. I bet you had some help at least from the guys in the village that like you un."

"Yeah from some of them, but mostly from Miroku. He stayed with me for three days while we built the damn thing and the villagers just delivered the materials. Sango and Kaede brought food for us, and after it was all built, Sango helped me furnish it. They helped me out, really, but I watched their twins a few times. Couple of brats… but they're cute enough."

"I'm sure they are, but that's totally beside the point un." Adjusting the gunny sack across his shoulders and grunting, Deidara turned back to the other man. "I'm helping you against Itachi, it's not like you're doing it alone, and it's also not like you couldn't chose _not_ to help… you know what un? Don't even worry about it, I won't explain this. If I can't come up with a way to fix your time machine then I'll haul all the material myself and build you a new house in the dead of winter un."

Inuyasha smiled and wrapped his hands behind his head, thinking about it all. A fixed well, a beat down weasel, a new house, Kagome back in his time, ad a new friend to boot. Things couldn't be better. But he remembered all the effort it would take to obtain his vision, and his smirk faded. First thing was first, get rid of Itachi. Well immediately first thing, they need to find camp.

They walked until their feet grew sore and the sun was hovering just out of reach of the trees' knobby fingers. They walked until Deidara's back had nearly given out and he had to pass the rations back over to Inuyasha to be carried. They walked until the sky was dyed a bright pink and the brightest of stars had begun to wink down at them. They walked until neither man really wanted to walk any further. Finally camp was made near the base of humongous birr oak, a fire pit was dug out and a crackling flame built in the dimple of earth.

Inuyasha had laid himself out around the fire, occasionally poking a twig into it like a boy would. Deidara was humming happily at the warm food in his belly, but as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand he cringed.

"Ew… I almost forgot I haven't bathed in days, and I'm not sure there's a bathhouse anywhere near here, un. What do you people do to get clean around here?"

"Well there are bathhouses in the cities, but out here you either get used to the smell or find some kind of water. I think there's a few pools from a spring deeper in the woods."

"Well I know what I want to do know," Deidara smiled as he rolled over to his knees. Inuyasha watched as he stood.

"Wait, you're going in there alone? You'll get eaten alive before you even reach them."

"Well… do you wanna come with then, un?"

He was expecting the other man to look away or deny quickly the way most people with a sense of modesty or an estrangement from people would, but Inuyasha was shockingly un-shocked. Deidara stood back and scratched the back of his head where the knot of his headband dimpled his hair awkwardly while waiting for the other man to make up his mind.

"… Look, I'm going weather you tag along or not, so suit yourself however you like un."

Inuyasha blinked.

"Eh… might as well. It has been a while and my hair smells from the smoke. Yeah, I guess it wouldn't kill me." He kicked hard into the dirt, piling a bunch on the small fire. He dusted off his worn apparel and walked past the ninja, making his way to the sound of water deep in the forest. "Probably a mile from here, but we'll make it."

"Alright un." Deidara was bend over the bag of food, retying the open end before scrambling up the side of the large oak with the gunnysack in hand and resting the precious store in the crook of the lowest branch. "That ought to keep the critters out while we're gone un." Humming to himself quietly, Deidara straddled the tree limb, locking his legs together by the ankles and letting himself swing downward until he was hanging onto the branch with his heels.

"So what would you say to a ride there? I've got plenty of powdered clay that I can spare some for a little travel if your feet are getting tired un." Despite the patronizing tone in the ninja's voice, he was hoping for Inuyasha to take him up on the offer, really not wanting to walk a whole mile there and back after having walked all day long.

"The trees are too thick in here to find a landing spot, and the less damage the better. If you can't walk, I can carry you."

"No, I don't think that's necessary, un," Deidara sighed. "I suppose I can manage a little more walking… we will be walking, right, un?"

Inuyasha huffed and looked over his shoulder, seeing Deidara let go and land nimbly on his feet.

"I suppose, but the faster we walk, the sooner you can bathe and the less I have to deal with anything hiding in there." He pointed to the hostile looking tree line, as if it was made of pure evil and demons, rather than normal flora and fauna.

"Better bring you're A-game Inuyasha," the blonde man joked, elbowing the hanyou in the ribs as he passed him on his way to the trees, "you never know what… monster hamsters may be lurking in the woods un… they'll eat your toes off if you're not careful un." Folding his hands behind his head, Deidara laughed at the very image that came to mind, letting Inuyasha panic as he marched into the dense forest without a single care.

"You laugh now, but I grew up in woods. You don't know what's running about in the middle of the night. It's not like camping when it's just you against the world. Anyway, it's getting dark, and I don't like getting all exposed in the dark. That's when the shit really comes out after you." Inuyasha picked up his pace, hopping carefully over a large root.

"Yeah, yeah un. I'm sure nothing's gonna pop out and go 'boo' at us un, I mean if that sword on your hip doesn't scare them off your stink surely will un." Unable to keep from laughing, Deidara at least managed to keep his sounds to a snigger, showing the hanyou that he could operate with stealth if need be.

The hanyou followed the rushing sound in his dog-ears for a half an hour, keeping his speed low to let his comrade take his time. Inuyasha's feet had long hardened over and toughened from walking, so it took him a week worth of running to tire his feet out. There were two small pools that a group of small critters scattered from but they continued past to near the largest pool, wrapping around a few large mossy boulders littered with birds. Inuyasha growled and made them dissipate. He sniggered and found a dry rock to lean on as he removed his outer robe.

Turning his back to the hanyou to allow him his privacy, Deidara made his way to a sapling that was struggling for a roothold in the side of a split rock. Removing his cloak, the ninja began to drape his garments over one scraggly branch, smiling slightly as the gnarled little tree held up remarkably well under the heavy fabric. It wasn't very long before Deidara had hung his last article on the sapling, looping his forehead protector over a protruding twig. Looking at the tree for the first time, one might have thought that it was a very rare plant that grew clothing as fruit and the garb was in full season.

But he cautiously turned to find Inuyasha in a similar state, tossing the last of his garb over his rock. Deidara waited until Inuyasha ventured out into the water. The hanyou mumbled and grumbled about the damn cold, but eventually he was silent, dunking his head under. As the silver mane disappeared, the shinobi tested the water.

Feeling the temperature with his foot cautiously, Deidara hissed at how cold it was, but decided that it would feel much better once he was acclimated to the temperature. Sucking in a deep breath, the blonde man slipped into the water as quickly as he possibly could, allowing the coldness to creep all the way up to his throat before he stopped, waiting to dip his head once the rest of his body had gotten used to the cold. At first his skin and joints protested against the fresh, cold, mountain water, but after a little bobbing in the water, Deidara had finally adjusted and let out a sigh, letting his shoulders relax and soak.

But as he settled into the water, a head burst through and whipped its great mane at him, coating the dry, blonde head in freezing water.

"Uh! Inuyasha, you ass! Don't fucking doing that, un, this is cold as shit!"

The hanyou bobbed at eyelevel in the water, then stood to shake his head furiously. Deidara yelps and glared at him again. Inuyasha glared back.

"Oh don't be a bitch."

"Was the dog shake necessary!"

Inu pointed to his ears. "Duh"

Faking an exaggerated gag, Deidara covered his nose with his left hand while he pulled the soaked ribbon out of his hair, letting the ponytail fall free and regroup with the rest of his hair.

"Kami above, you _did_ need a bath un. You stink like a wet dog un!" Smirking wickedly the ninja dipped his hair back into the water, bending his back so that only his hair soaked up the frigid liquid. "Let me help you with that un!" All at once Deidara slung his sopping wet hair around, smacking the half demon across the face with his own dose of spring water.

Inuyasha growled fiercely and splashed a wave at the other drenched man, but received another in return. There was so much water play that the pair were completely soaked to the bone by the time it got physical. Inuyasha had swum back and taken a dive into Deidara, pulling him under the water. The pair thrashed about, but eventually one of them remembered the absence of clothing in the mix.

Deidara's head broke the surface in a large gasp, knocking his opponent away.

"Damnnit Inu- get off, un! You're gonna-" he coughed, "-you're gonna drown me! Get off, baka!"

The shinobi kicked at his adversary's stomach, but the speed and force of the attack was so diminished by the water it was hardly worth the effort. Grappling with the other man, Deidara eventually got a hold of the hanyou's jaw allowing him to use Inuyasha's mandible as leverage to pry him backwards and at least allow the blonde a few gasps of air before being plunged underwater yet again.

The fight resumed, Inuyasha letting Deidara come up for a few breaths between struggles, but the shinobi finally gained leverage when he got onto the hanyou's back and forced his head underwater. After the two tired out, they swam apart and rested on opposite sides of the banks, gasping and laughing breathlessly.

The elder man looked over to Deidara and spotted him leaning his chest out, arms supporting him from behind. His skin was covered in tiny goose bumps as the water cooled his warm body down, and Inu swallowed something he hadn't realized had collected in his mouth. The hanyou sighed loudly and pushed off the edge to float back into the deep water, continuing until his feet didn't touch. He treaded water for a minute, waiting for Deidara to rejoin.

"Come on, you pansy. You're the one who needed this damn bath."

"Yeah, well I did say I wanted a bath, not a wrestling match un…" slipping under the water the ninja blew bubbles out of his nose while running his fingers though his long hair several times to be quite certain that the roughhousing had made it as clean as it would get without soap. When he resurfaced, Deidara squirted a stream of water from between his lips absently before taking his first breath. "If I wanted to fight with someone, I could have done the same with Itachi… boy wouldn't _that_ have been a fun time un?" The younger man's voice was heavy and sarcastic as he leaned his head to the side to wring out his golden tresses before whipping his hair back and forth a little to scatter most of the water from it.

When he seemed to be satisfied, the younger male gave his locks a few good strokes, running his fingers through and putting his hair back into place down his spine. It was at that moment that Inuyasha realized that he had not yet seen Deidara's left eye before that point. There was nothing special about that eye, it was bright and blue just like its brother, but seeing it for the first time gave Deidara a strangely different look about him.

Deidara's eyes caught Inuyasha's, but the gaze quickly broke. Something about those golden eyes… Deidara couldn't let them distract him from his concentration.

Inuyasha on the other hand couldn't help but stare. The light may had been failing, but Inuyasha could still see the young man's figure. He was indeed tone from years of training, but even with his disfigured arms, his frame was more slender than he expected. The water had beaded nicely over his skin….

Wait, what? What the hell was he thinking? Inuyasha grumbled and tugged at his own hair, snagging bits of foreign debris from his locks. This was a man. A man. Besides, there was Kagome. All he ever needed. But it had been a long time-no what? No, out of the question. The shinobi may have a thing for men, but he did not. For sure….maybe. Oh boy…

Squeezing the last few, tiny drops from his hair, the blonde man, completely oblivious, or at the very least doing very well to ignore the other man, began cupping water in his palms and scrubbing at his neck and arms, working his way down the way the dirt and oil flowed by gravity. The shinobi rubbed firmly against his own skin with his knuckles and fingertips moving from his arms to his chest and down his torso until he hunched over in the water to reach his legs. Though the conversation had suddenly died, Deidara didn't mind. While bathing was one of the few times when the ninja enjoyed the quiet; the sounds of water and silence were soothing.

Perfectly entertained by swimming, the hanyou paddled around until he found one of the large center rocks to lie on. Folding his arms and nestling his chin in between them. He looked out to the blonde and studied his bathing ritual, careful to look away when he glanced his way.

"What are you doing over there, un?"

"Nothing. Are you done yet?"

"Almost…" Deidara breathed as he leaned back against a bolder for support while he picked up one of his feet and scrubbed the sole with his knuckles. He then flossed his fingers in between each toe to make sure they were clean of dirt before doing the same for the opposite foot. The shinobi glanced up again just to see Inuyasha's eyes flick away, making the younger man slightly more annoyed.

"Hey… aren't you even going to wash yourself un? You barely even picked at the mats in your hair… and lookin' over here isn't getting you any cleaner any faster un."

"I don't mess with my hair. It is how it is. Besides, I've been in the water long enough to get the smell off, so I'm good." He pulled himself back and waded through the frigid waters to wash his face, rubbing hard on his forehead and chin with damp hands. Inuyasha stretched out his arms, pulling hard on the muscles to fight off the cold.

"Well that's at least one less thing I have to worry about un" Deidara scoffed, sliding his hands down his arms to scrape the water off of his arms with a squeegee-like effect. For a moment, the younger man let his better judgment lapse and he took in a long eyeful of the hanyou's well-sculpted upper body. Letting a breath huff from deep in his chest, the shinobi thought to himself how it was a shame that a man that attractive should prefer women to men. He pushed the notion out of his mind completely, having been down that road too many times before to bother with it now.

The water remained freezing, and after the lack of activity the men grew cold. Inuyasha was the first to chicken out and retreat from the water. He shook all over for and sat himself in plain view to squeeze out his hair. After finishing he managed to glance up, finding Deidara watching him. The blonde casually looked away, giving no attention to the fact, and went back to preening himself. Inu dusted his shoulders of the droplets while resuming his thoughts.

_What am I going to do? I know he was looking too… but it's nothing. Has to be, I mean he couldn't be interested. I know I'm not… right. Not…I mean he isn't bad looking when it comes to men, but it doesn't matter. Kagome, she's it. No one else. That's it. So it doesn't matter if he's looking, if I'm looking. It doesn't matter_. The hanyou hummed and ended it as that, looking back to find Deidara quitting the water too.

Stretching his arms upward until they shivered, Deidara was sure to turn his back to his fellow man out of courtesy. He spent a long moment standing near to his clothing which hung on the low branches while his body drip-dried, using the free time to comb through his hair with his fingers until it was perfectly untangled.

Sighing quietly, the shinobi reminded himself how lucky he was to have such a generous and powerful companion, willing to help him with his problems with Itachi. It was this very fact that made him ignore all the things he had seen within the last hour. After most of the moisture had fallen from his body, Deidara began to redress, keeping his backside still turned towards the other man.

But having little modesty, Inuyasha simply sat on his rock, letting himself dry out more before dampening his only clothes. With irritated tugs, he again wrung out his hair, but he knew it was so thick he'd have to repeat the step several times. Little drops tickled his ears, and he couldn't help but shake his head as his canine blood told him to. He heard Deidara snigger, making his head cock.

"What?"

"Oh nothing… the dog shake is cute."

Inuyasha's eyebrow rose, but the blonde waved him off.

Thinking himself rather clever, Deidara dressed himself in all but his cloak, holding out the thick fabric to Inuyasha offhandedly.

"Here, use this to dry your hair off so you don't get your back all wet. The summer nights don't get that cold and it'll be dry by morning un." Giving the hanyou what he hoped would come across as a kindly smile, Deidara tossed the cloak at his counterpart. He offered nothing more to Inuyasha and promptly began to tie the uppermost portion of his hair back into the high ponytail he was so accustomed to.

Looking at the cloak he gave into the whim, rubbing his long hair into the thick fabric. As he rubbed the cloth between his hands, Inuyasha could breathe in Dei's scent wafting past him. It was a pungent, masculine scent that mixed his sweat and weapon of choice, C4 into something likeable. He could understand how someone could love this scent, but he pushed aside the thought and rubbed harder.

When he had finished tying up his hair, Deidara stood back to watch as Inuyasha wallowed his hair in the dark cloak. Chuckling quietly to himself, the shinobi observed as the other man succeeded in turning his hair into a totally tangled mess.

"You know, it will dry just as well and without getting tangled if you just wrap the coat around it like a turban un." Deidara leaned back against the little tree he'd hung his clothing from. "I can show you how if you don't think you can figure it out yourself un."

"I think I'll survive." Inuyasha tossed back the cloak, which Deidara caught. The shinobi smiled as he watched Inuyasha pulled his fingers through his hair, surprisingly only snagging a few times. "My hair never really bothered me. Sure it looks bad, but-" he cringed as he yanked a knot close to his scalp, "it not hard to keep up. I don't pay attention to it, anyway. Too much work, preening and pampering. Waste of time. Just as long as I'm not knocked out by my own stink, I'm happy." Inuyasha flipped his hair back behind him, reaching over to his right for his hakama.

Holding the soggy cloak away from himself at an arm's length, Deidara eyed the garment suspiciously as if he nearly expected the fabric to be covered in dog hair. The ninja grimaced, knowing his outer robe would smell like a wet hound until its next washing. Until then, he would simply have to put up with the smell of Inuyasha's sodden hair all over him. The thought was strangely disgusting yet appealing at the same time, but he simply reminded himself that the hanyou wouldn't be seeing things the same way and threw the coat over his shoulder.

The mostly dried hanyou stepped into his clothes, trying his best not to trip as he took each step. Snatching up his two robes he hustled to catch up with the other man, not realizing that Dei had already decided to depart. He had thrown his arm into his first sleeve and wrapped it behind his back by the time he caught up, keeping pace with the shinobi.

"Well, do you feel better now, princess?" Inuyasha sneered as he tucking in his cream shirt.

"Of course, don't you un? Doesn't look like it's every day you get a bath. The way I see it, you ought to be thanking me for letting you tag along un." The younger man narrowed his eyes at the hanyou and smirked with the intent of joking back at him for the 'princess' comment. "After all, it's not every man who gets to bathe with an S-ranked missing nin un."

"Be I ever so privileged," Inuyasha shot back, tussling his still damp hair. "Like I said, waste of time. You're just gonna get dirty again when you live outside." The hanyou tripped over an unseen root, and he pitched forward. But before he could lose all balance, his strong hand shot out and happened to grab Deidara's shoulder. He pulled himself up and chuckled embarrassedly, but his voice dropped when he found the bright eyes.

Deidara failed to avert his eyes this time and it took the hanyou righting his footing and taking another step forward to break the ninja from his trance. Trying save his own ass and recover from the blunder, Inuyasha muttered a quick apology, but was cut off when the other man interrupted absentmindedly.

"I never noticed your eyes were gold un… it's such a striking color…"

Inuyasha looked back at him, fixed on those vivid irises again.

"They're from my father. I mean, he has the same eyes, at least that's what my mother said…" He fumbled with his words and eventually trailed off, finding the subject awkward. "Um…you smell nice, kid."

Deidara smiled and gave the other man's ear a playful cuff with his fingertips.

"Well yeah, _now_ I do un. Isn't that the point of taking a bath? To get the stink of the day off un?" Finally the shinobi was able to successfully divert his eyes back to the path he was walking, not without a smile on his lips though.

"Well I mean… some guys smell awful, even after bathing for three weeks, but… you're not bad. Do you always smell like clay?"

"Well yeah, un," Dei chuckled. "I work with it all the time. It would make sense to have it lingering on me, hm?"

"Yeah, makes sense," the silver-hair mumbled. He glanced back over, but found Deidara looking forward into the dark trees. "Well, we better get moving or we'll be walking in the dark. I don't know about you, but I can only kinda see in pitch black. Think you can walk faster?"

"Are you kidding un?" the blonde man turned his head to give a lethargically questioning look to Inuyasha. "You're lucky I'm walking at all. I would have fallen asleep in that spring if you hadn't gotten out first un."

"How could you sleep in that's ice bath? I couldn't get out fast enough." But Inuyasha saw that his words were ignored as Deidara yawned and rubbed his eyes. "If you can't walk, I could carry-"

"Nnnno… I t-think I'm," Dei was cut off by another yawn, "mmm, I'll survive…" but his head drooped slightly. Inuyasha stopped him and stood before him, his back presented to the sleepy shinobi.

"Just shut up and get on."

In response, Deidara grumbled reluctantly, looking away and blushing slightly at being given a piggy-back ride all the way back to where they'd set up camp. Of course he could tell Inuyasha's intentions were perfectly innocent, but the very idea was not thought of in an innocent manner by… well men like the blonde. However, when the younger man failed again to stifle a yawn, the silver-haired man looked over his shoulder and growled as if giving his disobedient companion a command. The animalistic threat was enough to tear down the last of Deidara's incentive against the action and with an exasperated sigh, he wrapped his arms around the hanyou's neck from behind.

"Fine, you win… bossy un…" came the shinobi's mumble as he rested his chin on the other man's shoulder, swallowing the strange emotions that bubbled up from his stomach in doing so. He closed his eyes, he could afford to rest them for a few minutes before they made it all the way back. It would only take a few minutes after all.

With his arms wrapped tight around the passenger's legs, Inuyasha pushed off the soft ground and bound into the darkening forest.

Inuyasha tried his best to clear his mind and think of his simple motor functions, navigating through the roots and fallen limbs of the floor. But the familiar feelings danced around in his head, ones that he decided to entertain without too much seriousness. He couldn't remember the last time he had had the feeling of someone on his back. Sure, he had given the twins rides for play, but the mass of heat and pressure on him hadn't been felt since the days of Kagome. He backtracked to avoid thinking of her, knowing the dwelling on thoughts of her didn't make anything better. A simple, straight path with a stiff upper lip would bring her closer to him, so Inuyasha chewed his tongue and kicked off of a large root, pressing on to the camp site.

A quiet grunt came from the half demon's shoulder and he looked down out of the corner of his eye to see that Deidara's neck had gone totally slack and his mouth hung slightly parted. Like a very tired child having fallen asleep in the back seat of a car, the young man had closed his eyes and fallen into the irresistible temptation of slumber. Inuyasha swallowed and adjusted his grip on the ninja's legs, hoisting him a little higher onto his back, causing the other to subconsciously wrap his arms just a little tighter around the hanyou's neck and groan quietly.

Inuyasha slid to a halt in a clear patch of dirt, checking over his shoulder again and confirming that he was out. The hanyou looked down to the ground, muddling. He soon resumed his journey, but instead taking casual steps rather than hasty leaps though the woods. It had been a while since he had someone this close to him, and even if it wasn't Kagome and was a man, the feeling was still nice to have, if only for that shot amount of time. Looking ahead, he saw a fallen tree, and he took his time climbing over it, not wanting to jostle his cargo too roughly.

The younger male was only stirred marginally in his sleep, not even cracking an eye or grunting in protest as Inuyasha clambered over the log. Shivering slightly as Inuyasha made his landing, the blonde tightened his grip and dug his nose softly into his companion's neck still without waking. Inuyasha could almost feel the warm smile on Deidara's lip as he buried his muzzle into the small column of the half demon's exposed skin.

The walk back took longer than Inuyasha had hoped, taking him well into the night. The bit of moon left in the cycle had risen when he found the remained of the pit. Inuyasha looked about and found the rest of the space for the most part untouched. Glancing back, he shook his shoulders to rouse the blonde.

"Come on kid," he grumbled, "you gotta get off now."

"Mmmmm…" the younger man groaned as if in complaint against being jostled, resisting being woken even as his mind slipped out of the deepest level of torpidity. Feeling Deidara's arms constrict a bit more around his neck, the hanyou groaned quietly, finally squatting on the ground and releasing the legs of his unconscious cargo. Slowly Inuyasha let the lethargic man slide from his back, being careful to undo the arms tightly bound around his throat. Finally he laid the ninja down near the roots of the large birr oak, allowing the younger man to curl in on himself like a cat.

He watched the younger man until he lay still, taking a cautious double take to reassure. Deidara was still sound asleep as Inuyasha scrambled up the tree and found his roost for the evening. It was a fairy thick branch, and Inu casually let his leg dangle high above the other man. Inuyasha glanced down again to check his comrade, and nothing had changed. Deidara still snoozed curled in his tight ball.

Leaning his back to rest against the great oak tree, Inuyasha let himself relax, closing his eyes and letting out a long breath as if releasing all the stress of the day. Finally he was allowed to sleep after the trials of the day had nearly sapped all of his energy and willpower, but still he found more strength than his comrade. Deidara had crashed a lot sooner than the hanyou had been expecting, he had seemed so full of vigor at the beginning of the day. Perhaps the toll of using his explosive techniques was much higher than Inuyasha had suspected. Either way he could hear the quiet sounds of sleep from far below.

The half demon's sensitive ears turned slightly, listening with precise, hypersensitive hearing to the tiny noises from below. Deidara was almost snoring in his unconscious state, stirring in his sleep as if finding it difficult to become comfortable. He could pick up a quiet patting sound as if the ninja was feeling around the ground for something he had misplaced before falling asleep. Not long after, the tiny sounds of unrest began to grow until the younger man was mumbling in his sleep and fidgeting quite often.

"God help me- Go to sleep, kid," the hanyou groaned. "I want sleep too, you ass. Roll over or something…" But as Inu looked over to inspect, he found Deidara still very much asleep, but even in the dark he could see the muscles in the young man's face tensed in agitation. The slender arms had escaped their original tuck and were skimming the grass, trying to pull something to the chest that wasn't there. Inuyasha huffed, ignoring the sounds in hopes that they would pass with the shinobi's sound sleep.

But after five more minutes, the whines grew desperate, and Inu couldn't believe the man hadn't woken himself up yet. Grinding his teeth, the old half-breed pushed himself off to land nimbly next to the fidgety other.

The shinobi flinched in his sleep as if the feeling of the ground trembling beneath him as Inuyasha landed had disturbed his already less than peaceful dreaming. Deidara squirmed and kicked his legs out forward as if he was kicking at some invisible enemy or attempting to break his own fall. His hands twitched sporadically and he groaned in his unconscious state, making sounds that almost sounded like desperate words. The younger male sounded almost as if he was pleading for mercy or help from whatever vision that haunted his sleeping mind.

Anxious to end the panicky ninja, Inuyasha slowly reached out a hand and placed it among the jolting ones, letting them latch on with a death grip and pull back to his trembling chest. Inuyasha's mind instantly screamed to snatch his hand back, the hunter instinct in him stating that quick, strong movements were never good. But he allowed the blonde to take the limb, and to his relief the grasp dulled in strength as it eased Deidara's subconscious. The whimpers died to a soft hum and Inuyasha slipped his finger out of the warm palms.

Out of habit Inuyasha cracked his knuckles, looking over to Deidara. His limbs had stopped moving, and his whole body was still other than his slow breaths. The hanyou heaves a sigh, laying his head back to the rough bark of the tree. But before he himself could doze, he felt a tug form his hakama. Snapping his head back, he found the ninja's nimble fingers gripped tight to the red fabric. The energy form Inuyasha had long since vanished, and he resolved that there was no harm in a simple physical connection. He felt no other movements beside him, and with that Inu closed his heavy lids and slumbered.


	7. Blood and Poison

Chapter 7

Blood and Poison

Sooner than expected, the first shafts of pale-grey light were filtering down through the morning mist and dappled canopy. Feeling a patch of early morning sunshine tickling the lids of his eyes, Deidara scrunched up his face as if in protest before giving a grunt and trying to roll over and block out the new light. The shinobi was surprised when his fingers were tugged back, bringing him awake enough to find that the digits had become tangled in his companion's flowing scarlet trousers. Blinking slowly at the spectacle of his own hands clutching dearly at Inuyasha's pants, the blonde man took a moment to realize exactly what he had done in his sleep. As soon as the thought hit his groggy brain, Deidara snatched his hands back to himself, releasing the blood-red fabric instantly.

He looked up quickly to see if he had disturbed his partner, but to his surprise the hanyou was still thickly asleep. Inuyasha's lips had not parted in the night as Deidara was often used to seeing, so his hard face made it hard to tell if he truly was unconscious. Counting his steady breaths, the count was too low for an conscious mind, so Deidara relaxed and set his head back on the hard root he had called a pillow during the night.

The awkward sleeping accommodations had left Deidara with stiff joints and a slight crick in his neck, but he elected to stretch all of the complaints out of his ligaments and muscles after his companion had awoken. In the meantime, the ninja let out a long sigh, stretching his chest and back in the process and thanking Kami for the welcome reprieve from battle. He looked out of the corner to see Inuyasha bowed forward, looking rather like a sapling bowing under the weight of a heavy snow. The thought made Deidara's contented smile grow and he folded his hands behind his head, waiting for the hanyou to wake and join him in preparing breakfast.

The initial inertia caught up to Inuyasha, sending him forward and slightly to his right until the motion woke him. He snapped back to upright, his heavy lids barely cracked and jaws noisily snapping together from the taste of slumber drool. Inu let his eyes lazily roll to each side, surveying the scene. He eventually saw that he was not alone, and he snuffed.

"How long you been awake?"

"Not long un" the younger man replied, stretching his body out longways until his limbs shivered before sitting up and giving the hanyou a weak smile. Deidara hoped silently that the other man had not noticed him gripping at the scarlet trousers in the night like some security blanket. "Will you be ready to help make some breakfast soon un? I can get the fire going again while you wake up some more…"

Inuyasha scratched the back of his head and let out a wide yawn, showing off his bright fangs.

"Ahhh- I'm up." Snapping his jaws shut, the hanyou took a quick scratch to his ears and watched Deidara brush the last nights kindling into a pile. "How are you going to light that with no flint rock?"

"Well I don't know any fire jutsus un," Deidara grunted as he built the teepee of twigs and sticks back up, "but I know a few explosive techniques that rely on a slow burning reaction that can start a few fires un." Deidara smiled down at his well-built pyramid of branches and folded his hands as if in satisfaction. Closing his eyes for a moment, the ninja hummed a soft, sweet lullaby as he crammed his left hand into its pouch full of clay. He took his time while the palm worked the substance with its teeth until it was malleable.

Suddenly, the young shinobi made a noise as if he were having difficulty swallowing a large bite of food before spitting his gob of white clay onto the kindling like a plug of chewing tobacco. The goo was far too moist to be molded into anything, and it ran between the sticks and dripped into the ashes in a sloppy white mess. Inuyasha made a face of disgust, grunting and sticking out his own tongue as if he was sick to his stomach, but not taking his eyes off of the spectacle.

"Tatsuiki no jutsu," Deidara muttered, bringing one hand up with his thumb, index and middle fingers raised like half of the zodiac sign of the tiger. The mixture of clay spittle and wood sizzled for a moment before flames leaped forward and before Inuyasha could ascertain what exactly had happened, he was staring at a roaring fire.

"Are you sure you're not a demon or something," Inuyasha groused as he poked at the fire. The pile shook and fell over, but the flames still licked strongly on the wood. He snorted and added another log to it.

"I'm positive I'm not a demon," Deidara looked down at the other man with a scowl in his eyes, "I've only told you that like a million times un, so would you quit asking?" The blonde man snorted and let himself fall back onto his rump, resting his forearms on his knees as he sat beside his silver-haired companion. "The _dragon's breath_ jutsu is one of the many forbidden techniques I learned a long time ago when I left home. I was hoping that learning to control fire with earth chakras would impress my father, but no such luck un."

"Impressing your old man is overrated," Inuyasha growled. "You're never going to live up to their legacies, so why bother. Just do what you want and fuck the rest, ya know?" Inuyasha rested his hands behind his head, shutting his eyes and allowing his drowsiness take him back for a moment. "Don't try to live to impress, cause you'll never make everybody happy. Now what's for breakfast?"

"Sounds like _someone_ decided to take the easy road in life," the ninja grunted, poking at the fire and moving a burning log to be more centered. "So who was it that finally got you to give a rat's ass about anyone but yourself un? Kagome?" Stretching his arms above his head, Deidara held his limbs in a taught position until he could hear his shoulders pop loudly.

"No, it was…uh, this other girl, K-Kikyo. She kinda… well we were… really close. She was a another priestess I met way back, and she… she set me right. Until Naraku went and fucked up everything. Man I hate that bastard. He didn't even mess it up between me and her, he totally flipped it over and ripped it apart. He had to go and turn us against each other and…" Inuyasha clenched his fists at the thought of that dark time. "But yeah, she got me thinking about things. Before, it was me against the world. But she cared. Don't know why… but she did."

"Seems like losing her really threw you, didn't it un?" Deidara was now staring into the dancing flames paying attention but only as he occupied his other senses with the beauty of the fire. "So if Kikyo and you had your relationship, and then Kagome… how many years ago was that? You seem awfully young to have had so many serious girlfriends un." Grunting the ninja studied Inuyasha out of the corner of his right eye. "I mean how old are you anyway? Eighteen? Nineteen?"

"Jeez I gotta think about that. Um I was, what… like 35 when she shot me, then on the tree for 50 years, and that was four years ago when Kagome showed up, so… like… almost 90?"

With a blank expression on his face, Deidara stared at the other man for what felt like an eternity before a wide grin leapt across his face. The ninja nearly doubled over laughing, falling backwards to avoid falling into the fire as he clutched his clutched at his stomach and howled with laughter. He gasped for air like drowning man, unable to find his stability for a good few minutes.

When he had finally calmed down enough to talk, Deidara wiped his sleeve across his forehead and tried not to choke on the laughter he was still suppressing.

"Oh… son of a bitch… I haven't heard anything so funny… since Kakuzu cut Hidan's tongue out and he still tried to talk un… But… But no, really… how old are you un?"

"…around 80. Im a half-breed, remember. I'm gonna outlive you humans twice over. Most demons live ten times longer, but looking at some humans around me I figure I'll live to be… well I should live fore like, 180 years, but I was sealed to the tree for 50 of them, so… I really don't know how much longer I got. But yeah, im almost 80, I think."

The younger man looked at Inuyasha with a very vague expression, almost as if he was studying the hanyou's face. The silver haired man leaned away as if he feared that his companion was about to fire laser beams from his eyes and kill him. Deidara pursed his lips and frowned, his brows knitting as if he could find the root of the joke by simply glowering at the hanyou for a long enough time.

"This again un?" he finally grumbled, finally leaning back and stretching his shoulders as if doing his best to deny the insisted existence of demons in this ancient world. "Look… can we just say you're about nineteen, just to put it into perspective un?"

"Whatever. I've been alive, more or less, 90 years, but sure. In human years, I got the body of like a 20 year old. You're about, what, same age?" Inuyasha smoothed out his sleeves in order to busy his hands, avoiding the strange glare his guest was still giving him.

"That's 21 to you mister, get it straight un." He gave Inuyasha a shove in more or less playfulness. "I wouldn't be caught up in the same childish hijinks of you _almost_ teenagers un. In the eyes of the law in my country, I am a man, I can drink, I can smoke, I can have a fare rumble with someone also of the appropriate age… not that I'm any stranger to breaking the law, but that's aside from the point un."

"Almost? I'm older than Kaede, and she's ancient! What part are you not comprehending?" Finally deciding their next move, the hanyou rose to his feet and held out a hand to Dei.

The younger blonde took his comrade's hand, however reluctantly, and used the extended limb to haul himself to his feet. "If you ask me, you don't look a day over 18, and you don't at all look like a legal drinker. Tell me, do you have an ID card? How can they tell your age when you go to a tavern? Or don't you drink un?" Deidara smirked as he reattached the belt around his hips and shook the leaf-litter off of his cloak before throwing it over his shoulder in favor of leaving his arms bare to the warm summer.

"What's an ID?"

"You know 'Identification"?"

Inuyasha shrugged and placed his hands comfortably behind his head.

"Whatever that is, I ain't got it. I'm not really a drinker, anyway. I takes too much to get even a little buzz, and I don't do taverns for that matter. Too many people."

Deidara suddenly clapped his hand against the other man's back and laughed heartily. "Oh you poor innocent child un. When this whole thing is over, I'm going to find some money and buy you sake until you can't say 'sassafras' to save your life un. You just need to be taught how much fun it is to get drunk with a friend every now and again, even if you can drink him under the table un." The ninja gave his companion a wily smile and narrowed his eyes as if he was already planning the event. Before Inuyasha could comment on the look though, Deidara had his back turned and was busy kicking dirt over the fire pit.

Inuyasha waited until Deidara was satisfied, and then the two set off to the north, walking through the forest to no particular location.

"So I figure we'll walk the hillside for now, but a few miles from here are the caves. We could camp there if that's the plan." Inuyasha hopped over a fallen log and watched Deidara follow.

"Yup, that's the plan un," the ninja replied as he hopped down off of the severed tree trunk and landed perfectly. "On our way though we should keep an eye out for any game we could take back with us. I don't know about you, but I could go for a belly full of pork or venison right around lunchtime un." Deidara gave his stomach a longing rub as if he could already anticipate the flavors of roasted wild meat.

"Is that all you ever think about? I love food as much as the next, but have you never eaten before? If you keep on like that, you're gonna get fat."

"You kidding un?" the shinobi suddenly scoffed, looking at his partner with a look that was a mixture of mocking disbelief and smugness. "The Akatsuki's food budget is terribly small. I've been eating rice, beans and supplementary pills for the past two years un. Whatever money I manage to earn or take on the side I usually end up spending on comforts like a room at an inn during long missions. Having a regular diet of meat and vegetables is heavenly un!"

"I still say if you keep scarfing that down all the time you're gonna get fat and then what am I gonna do with you?" The hanyou stumbled as Deidara shoved him, and he retaliated with a return push. "Hey, don't get mad. You'd be useless if you were all fat and lazy, and obviously I need you if we're gonna get rid of Itachi."

Deidara snorted indignantly, stretched his arms above his head and grunted as some kind of rebuttal.

"So now you think I'm lazy un?" the young shinobi gave his companion a face that was both accusatory and mocking. "Tell me, is there any part of my body that says I'm lazy un? Is it perhaps my abs, sculpted over the course of almost 15 years of rigorous training un? Or perhaps my arms, capable of throwing punches that shatter the very ground under your feet? Or maybe you mean my legs, which can carry me at speeds reviling those attainable by the swiftest of beasts un." Deidara folded his hands behind his head in smug satisfaction, not even bothering to look for the other man's reaction.

Inuyasha let the words soak in, and without a second thought he glanced over and looked over his partner. There was no lie to his claims, and Inu cursed himself for agreeing. He was a looker if nothing else, but the thought sparked that weird feeling again, and he quickly suppressed it. The mission came first, and feelings made everything complicated. He remembered the battles he had between Kikyo and Kagome, and the flashback only made the feeling grow.

The hanyou was so lost in his own thoughts, that he hardly realized that the ninja had come up short before he bumped into the halted man. Deidara had his arms outstretched as if barring his partner from passage, and gave the hanyou a quick look over his shoulder to be sure that he was hushed.

"Can you feel that un?" the young man hissed, "quadruped, 700 pounds, my guess is elk, north by northeast, 40 meters…"

Inu's ears twitched and the sound of heavy foot beats to Deidara's described location, and he sniffed the air for a draft from upwind. He stopped as a scent all too familiar wafted.

"Kid we should get moving around. If that is who I think it is, I don't wanna tangle with him right now. It's just better if we go past and continue on." The silver-hair moved fast to his right to a new path.

"Backing down from a hunt? What kind of dog-man are you un?" Deidara chided, giving the other man's side a quick nudge. "On a kill like that, we'd eat like kings! We wouldn't have to hunt again for at least a week if we treat the meat right; we could even make jerky un." The shinobi couldn't help but grin at the thought, smoothing his palms together as if already entertaining the thought of a contentedly full gut. "Come on, I won't even make you do any work un, just help me carry back what we want and leave the dirty work to me un."

"That ain't no elk, kid. That's a demon, and no regular demon. Trust me, we should leave well enough alone because you don't wanna tangle with who it's traveling with. Lets just leave and find game somewhere else."

"There you go with the _demon_ thing again un, I think you're just covering up cause you're really too chicken un. Don't tell me you're squeamish." Narrowing his eyes Deidara continued to smirk at the hanyou before he turned away and shrugged again. "Whatever, if you don't want to come with, you don't have to un. I'm quite capable of hunting for myself." With that the shinobi drew a black, diamond shaped dagger from a pocket on the side of his hip bag, spinning the weapon about his finger a few times tauntingly. Finally he tossed the knife and caught it between his teeth, freeing his hands as he launched himself to take a hold of the nearest branch and swing himself off into the forest towards his intended prey.

Inuyasha was hot on his tail, but before he could gain enough ground to get in front of him he took off down another path and too many trees separated them. The hanyou growled and took off, gaining ground towards the unwanted demon. He knew very well who it was, and he know who's owner it was. Neither of them he cared to see. But if he had to have a little family reunion, then he'd do so with his sword drawn. With that, the Tetsusaiga was unleashed and Inuyasha kept going, hoping to reach the creature, Ah-Un, before the shinobi did.

Ice ran through the half demon's veins as there came a loud screech like a horse that has been shot with an arrow, nearly drowned out by a thundering explosion. All too late, Inuyasha burst into the clearing just in time to see Deidara kicking over the beast of burden that was owned by his half-brother. The hanyou couldn't help but grimace at the sight, almost unable to take it in all at once.

The grass was stained red and the ground was covered in pieces of flesh and bone and gore. Deidara's face was even pained with a spray of blood that had been caused by his explosive clay as the two-headed demon had lost one of its skulls. With his knife poised, the ninja stood over the remaining head, the dragon creature wide-eyed with shock and confusion at the loss of its brother.

As Inuyasha halted, he met the ninja's wide eyes.

"Kid… what did you do?"

Deidara froze for a moment, kunai taunt for a strike to the second head.

"It's… it's a demon. A... demon, here. I gotta kill it."

"No! You're gonna get killed if he finds out, now leave it! We gotta go before he shows up." Inuyasha rushed to his side and attempted to pull the blonde up, but Deidara snatched himself away.

The younger man suddenly whirled on his partner, pointing his shining threat at the hanyou's throat. Inuyasha swallowed as the visage took its moment to sink in. The proud shinobi was genuinely maddened, if only temporarily; his face stained with blood and his hair dripping with the fluids of his newfound enemy. Deidara's eyes were wide with anger and horror and fear and for a moment, they seemed hollow.

"Don't you come between me and this un," the blonde man hissed threateningly. "Don't you take away what I know un. This morning I woke up knowing that there were no demons in the world save for the nine tailed beasts un, will you take that away from me?" Deidara's teeth gritted and his breath heaved deep in his chest. "I have to kill it un."

"If you kill it you will have another demon on your hands, and he's not as easy to deal with. Now let's go, damnit!" But he knew it was too late as the smell of his kin neared their location. He could hear the swift, soft tread of his brother in the undergrowth of the forest, and Inuyasha knew any chance of easy escape was gone, and a fight was at hand. "Deidara, forget it. Get up, because he's right on top of us."

With a low growl in his throat, the shinobi whirled on the trembling undergrowth, narrowing his eyes and tensing his body.

"I can **see you there un!**" He declared, leaping backwards off of the pinned body of his victim, launching his dagger into the thicket where he knew the next target to be. The ninja skidded to a stop, raising dust behind his heels and cramming his hands into his pockets to gather two mouthfuls of clay.

In the thick of the trees the pair could make out a flash of green light and the sound of the kunai being deflected. It came whirling back at the nin, who caught it effortlessly and threw it into the earth. Inuyasha leaned back hard on his back heel as a silhouette of a man came into view, and the hanyou instinctively pulled his sword in front on himself.

"Dei, back up."

"You must be crazy if you think I'm-" the shinobi was interrupted by a very urgent hiss from Inuyasha and with the look of grave seriousness in his eyes, the younger man silently obeyed, though reluctantly. Deidara took a few tentative paces backwards, stepping down off of the gravely wounded beast which gave a piteous whine of agony. Keeping his eyes trained on the immerging visage, the blonde man only stopped his gentle retreat once he had reached a far enough distance from his intended kill that it would not become an obstacle.

As the new opponent came into view, Inuyasha tensed up and watched his older brother step towards them, only stopping once he reached the side of his stead. With a smooth movement, Sesshōmaru knelt beside the fallen creature, looking with a solid glare at the void next to the panicking face of Ah. He held a hand out, placing it on the crown of the beast's only head, and with that the beast relaxed and laid its head down to pass out. Having calmed the creature enough to avoid its current misery, the demon lord stood and locked eyes with the human.

"You dare kill this one demon head without putting the other out of misery? Who are you, human, to think you have power to kill my stead? And what of you, little brother? Have you not learned to stay from my sight, less you want my wrath? Must I teach your new human the price of crossing me?"

"Knock it off, Sesshōmaru. It was an accident, he's not form around here and he-"

Inuyasha practically winced when he was cut off by the outburst of his comrade. It scared him, truly, how stupid the shinobi could be at times; how rash and bold beyond his means. Alas it was bound to get the young man into trouble one day, only this time, the half demon knew for a fact that Deidara had bitten off more than he could chew.

"Look, princess, I don't know who you think you are, but I'd suggest you don't go prancing around like you're hot stuff unless you've got the goods to back it up un. As for your _whatever_ that thing is, I was _about_ to kill it before you interrupted, so if the beast suffers, it's your own damn fault un. Waist of a perfectly good breakfast if you let it live un."

Inuyasha's eyes snapped form Deidara to is brother again, and as expected the yokai's face remained stoic, but his eyes betrayed him only to the hanyou. It was on.

"I don't intend to let you eat my property, you filthy human. Now I suggest you leave before I start to feel sorry for this beast and kill you. I have no issues with disposing of another pest my brother seems to have acquired. I believe you should take your new bitch and leave, little brother."

The younger man's smug smirk finally turned into a frown and he made a quick motion of his hand, signaling aggression.

"Look, _fluffy_, I don't know who or what you think you are, but Deidara Hashimoto is **nobody's** bitch; least of ways Inuyasha's un." Never taking the new enemy from his glare, Deidara tilted his head from side to side to pop his joints as if limbering up for a big fight. "I suggest you crawl back to the antique shop you got that armor from and stay there un, or things will get real messy, real fast around here un."

"You think you stand any chance against me, trash?" Sesshōmaru took a few stepped towards the pair, making Inuyasha tense up on the hilt of his sword.

"Sesshōmaru, there's no fight here. We can't do anything for it now, and fighting isn't going to bring it back. Deidara, shut up. You're talking up the wrong demon. I hate to admit it, but you're not enough to go up against him." The silver hair turned towards the human, motioning him to follow. "There's nothing here to gain, so let's just move on. He's one hell of a demon."

"Oh no," the reckless human growled at his companion as if there had been any questioning in Inuyasha's voice. "If this snow-white elf has the _gall_ to call me trash, he deserves all the hell he's about to get un. I've killed demons a thousand times the size of this little pecker with only one arm un. You think I'm scared of _him?_"

"Listen, it's not that you can't take him, it's that we don't need you going and getting beaten up again for no reason. If we just leave-" But he was cut off by a ribbon of bright green light separating the two of them, causing them both to tense back to their defensive positions. Sesshōmaru pulled back his toxic whip and took back their attention.

"If the human thinks himself big, then I don't mind tearing him apart. I'm sure Un would appreciate the gesture of your death in his honor." With that the demon lashed out another set of acid strands towards the pair, but both had moved from the path in time for them to eat away the grass occupying the ground.

With a leap and a bound, the blonde man was quick to dodge, the lashing energy whip missing him by many meters. He skidded through the dust, finally coming to a halt, smirking up through a curtain of long blonde hair, smattered with blood and dirt. The shinobi couldn't help but appear smug, looking up at the eldest man and cracking a wily smile.

"I'm sure there are plenty of people who would appreciate my death, but they're all going to be sorely disappointed for many, many years to come un. Anyway, you'll have to be a lot faster if you want to hit me, you cross-eyed fairy un."

Across the way Inuyasha watched the pair line up to fight and he picked his way along the roots of the trees to try to stand between the two. This wasn't a time to fight with his kin, no matter how much he disliked the yokai. Any chance of Deidara getting injured in a fight was too much of a chance, but too late he saw Deidara release a small flock of clay bird upon his brother. Sesshōmaru glared suspiciously at the creatures and sliced at them, rewarded with a great explosion before him. Deidara smirked at his folly, but as the smoke cleared the smile faded, seeing no injury to the great demon. The shinobi sent out another flock, but learning quickly, Sesshōmaru strung out a wave of poison to destroy the birds before they reached him.

Narrowing his eyes, Deidara looked over his foe as he crouched and placed one hand flat on the ground before him; there positively must be a chink in his enemy's armor. Again came the lashing of the powerful demon's whip, its green venom glowing with a deadly purpose as the cord sought out its victim. Whirling into the air, the ninja was quick to avoid the strike but as the whip darted upwards after him, Deidara nearly was without an exit.

Shifting in what could only be seen as an act of smugness in the security of his victory, Sesshōmaru remained otherwise stoic and immobile, as if the man were carved of marble. What he hadn't expected was for the wiry young shinobi to reach out with one hand and suddenly produce a clay bird the size of a grown horse. With one stroke of its powerful wings, the clay creature yanked its creator just out of the reach of snapping toxic tip. If Deidara didn't already seem to be mocking his foe by simply dodging every move of his poison whip, the laughter would be enough to show that it was so; the blonde man was clearly enjoying the rush of battle thoroughly.

Without moving any part of himself but his hand, Sesshōmaru drew his whip back, taking aim at the human, now straddling the neck of the winged beast he had summoned. Before the whip could crack again, however, the ground below the yokai's feet crumbled and he sunk nearly six inches into the cracked earth. From the hole below, a great, snow-white centipede slithered with immense speed, wrapping its body entirely around the demon lord, constricting him in its clay coils as if it meant to crush him.

In an instant the large insect exploded, the force knocking Inu to his knee. Staring at the thick cloud and settling debris, he couldn't believe the sight. Sesshōmaru still stood, now covered in dirt and ash from the blast. He whipped in Deidara's direction, lashing the underbelly of his stead. The heat of the toxin ignited the clay, blasting Dei into the air. He recovered and crashed into a tree, using the branches to safely touch down.

"You disgusting insect!" the oldest male said, stepping towards the blonde. "You think your man made weapons can kill a full blooded demon?"

"You bastards keep going on and _on_ about demons and magic and all this bullshit. You need to grow up and let the fantasy die un. There's no such thing as magic and the only demons are monsters big enough to destroy entire civilizations with a single breath of fire un. You have no power greater than me, and I will show you the true strength of my superior art un, because art…" Deidara's lips turned into a wicked sneer, like the grin of a maniac as his hands flew through a series of signs before he launched himself off of the tree he had been clinging to at a near horizontal stance, "is a _BANG!_"

As Deidara launched himself at this opponent, the yokai pulled back his right hand. With his arm tucked tightly to his side, he curled his fingers in and built up his close ranged attack. The venom from his whips grew around his fingers, giving off a sickening glow of green. Pushing off to meet the ninja, Sesshōmaru reached out his hand to strike in full force.

The next instant was a blur, and only in the moments after did the three analyze the results of the attacks. Deidara had hit something hard that had jumped in front of him, a large mass of red blocking his path. He plowed into it and was pushed back from the force of the demon running into it as well. As Deidara slid back, he gasped as he saw the back of Inuyasha before him. With the hanyou blocking the attack, Sesshōmaru's claws had sliced deep into the hanyou's chest, poisoning the surrounding flesh.

This was not in the plan. His attack had been flawless, the lunging claws of the new enemy would have been easy to dodge, bringing the ninja directly into his opponent's face. Once there, there would have been nothing between his attack and the foe, a direct hit, a quick victory, and an easy breakfast. But Inuyasha had to go and jump into the attack, he had to pull a self-sacrificing stunt like that and ruin the entire plan of attack. There was nothing to be gained from this, and it made Deidara furious and scared at the same time.

Before he could tell exactly what he was doing, the shinobi had two fistfuls of Inuyasha's shoulders, yanking him away from the gleaming claws of his assailant. The wounded hanyou groaned in pain and screwed his eyes shut as the blade-like nails were jerked from between his ribs, leaving the wounds to leak blood and burn with poison. Deidara would have thrown the other man as hard and as far as he could to get him away from the attacker, but wouldn't risk re-injury. Instead the ninja hooked his elbows with Inuyasha's underarms and leaped backwards the second he touched the ground. As fast as he possibly could, the younger man took them into the refuge of a large chestnut tree, forcing Inuyasha to his feet with his back to the tree.

"What the fuck were you thinking un?"

Sliding down slightly on the trunk, Inuyasha ground his teeth.

"There's no reason… for a fight. I can't have you getting- uh," he gripped is chest, covering his fingers in tainted blood, "-ah, can't have you hurt or pissing him off. He's a l-lot worse than this, and you need to… strength for Itachi. I can take a hit like this, but he's not gonna stop…" losing his voice, Inuyasha slid all the way down to sit limply beside the roots of the tree, only clenching his hand over the deep wound.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Deidara gave his companion's shoulder reassuringly.

"If he's not going to stop, then neither am I, you can count on that un." Giving a short nod, the shinobi darted around the tree, leaving his partner in the safety of the chestnut tree while he returned to face his enemy. He combed the scarlet painted hair from his face and set it back into place, spreading his arms wide as if offering himself up to the inu yokai. "If it is vengeance you seek, retribution for the beast I killed, then take it from me, if you can un."

Looking across their battlefield, Deidara could see the yokai standing, but looking harder, having toe squint his eyes, the air around him seemed to… to shimmer. The air grew heavy, but the shinobi refused to move from his perfect stance. As the moment continued, the air moved more; rippling around the lord to a point where it appeared he himself was shaking. He had seen many a technique, but this wasn't familiar to him. Across the way, Sesshōmaru's eyes became blood red with brilliant blue irises, and the edges of his mouth crept back, exposing elongated fangs. He was, in fact, changing.

Suddenly, Deidara's lips turned upwards into a smile. This was a trick that had been played many times by many people, and he was no stranger to bizarre forms of transformation. He had seen the powers of the tailed beasts inside of their jinchuriki called forth, changing young men and women into full-sized monsters. He had also witnessed once before the transformations of some of his criminal comrades; Hidan became a living voodoo doll, and Kisame had turned into a massive shark-creature. But this… This was a completely different kettle of fish. Something about the metamorphosis happening before Deidara's very eyes was less like a demon spirit or physical change, and more like the myths of lycanthropy. Still, he couldn't stop himself from grinning.

The older male proceeded with his transformation, letting hair cover his whole body. A thick whirlwind developed around him, masking his form growing and reshaping into his monstrous state. Before he was finished, Sesshōmaru let out a piercing howl and bared his fangs, acidic drool dripping from his jowls to burn the grass below. The winds picked up to a tornado, and as the demon's bones settled, it died away, revealing his massive form to the human.

Deidara narrowed his eyes at the monster that towered twenty or more feet tall, cramming his hands into his pockets to be certain that he had enough clay at the ready. He pursed his lips and frowned at Sesshōmaru, raising one eyebrow as if to ask the brute if he was finished with his spectacle. Bravely, or stupidly, depending on your opinion, the shinobi locked eyes with the humongous dog creature his foe had become, staring down the beast with a resolute face, but not without fear and adrenaline bubbling in his stomach.

"Okay… nice trick I suppose," the shinobi's voice wavered slightly as he adjusted his stance slightly, sliding a pace backwards in the dust, "tell me how you did it un… the Sage of Six Paths hasn't even been born yet, so how you possess the power of the bijū is riddling un."

But with his true form the demon lord could not answer in words, nor did he wish to. He simple curled his lips and took a step forward, bringing his face down to show off his mighty teeth and fatal saliva. Yet again it dropped to the ground, and Deidara could hear the earth sizzle in front of him.

The keen hearing of the canine beast could detect the quiet, rapid sound of Deidara's heart slamming against his ribcage as adrenaline pulled through his veins like a fast-spreading poison. Still the ninja did not move, a game of chicken, if it could be called that, defying the mighty hound that was so close to the young human that his very breath blew Deidara's hair. He waited to make his move once the dog demon had launched his attack; provided the lesser likelihood of a quick attack in retaliation which, at this stage, couldn't be afforded.

Sesshōmaru kept his complexion while moving in closer. He had seen the speed of the human, but even with his size he wasn't encumbered enough to slow him down. The demon knew that he had the upper hand, and with that he snapped his jaws loudly, panicking his opponent.

Deidara lurched backwards a yard at the attack, but came up short, inwardly slapping himself for having fallen into such a simple fake-out. Perhaps the rush of staring down a monster dog was clouding his judgment, or perhaps his blood was already too full of adrenaline to stop such impulsive reactions. He could only hope to be able to keep from making the same mistake once the fangs were snapping at him for real.

At that instant the demon did attack, bringing his giant mass onto the spot where the blonde had been standing. But as the large demonic eyes looked around, he found his prey gone, and a series of explosions along his spine make him howl and turn back. Looking to the skies, Deidara was aloft, holding out his hand to release more clay spiders.

The great beast narrowed his eyes as the ninja followed with several more bombs until he had reached the end of Sesshōmaru's back. As Deidara was smirking with satisfaction, the demon shifted his massive body slightly, clubbing the human out of the air with a wave of his powerful tail like swatting a pesky fly. Without a sound, the young blonde struck the ground and bounced twice before skidding through the grass and finally coming to a stop. He was quick to scramble back to his feet, but the skin on the shinobi's left side was an angry shade of red and dripping blood where the ground had peeled the outer layer of skin away.

Sesshōmaru turned to meet him, and found the ninja winding along the ground. Tracing his movement the demon managed to swipe his paw and knock Deidara off balance. He curled his lips in a sign of triumph, as if to say how pathetic his prey was. But he was taken aback as there came a great pain in his paw, and pulling it back he found it bloody and burnt. Another attack of bombs had damaged his knuckles, and he growled wildly.

Taking the reprieve as an opportunity to launch his offensive, the shinobi wasted no time in hurling a large spider at the feral dog's sensitive nose, forcing the beast a large pace backwards. Taking a step forward of his own, Deidara smirked, returning the gesture of his enemy by mocking the monstrous hound's pain. With a great sweep of his arm, the shinobi released two quick, white birds which exploded in twin blooms of fire against Sesshōmaru's soft underbelly, causing the yokai to yelp and snarl at his enemy furiously.

A few yards away, the injured hanyou stirred and screwed his eyes tight, the wound in the chest knocking the wind from him. In the distance he heard the various explosions, forcing him to dip his head and flip it up to look. He saw his brother, full demon form, stomping around with a tiny figure bounding around him. It seemed as the ninja was holding his own. But as the smallest glimmer of hope rose in his chest, he saw Sesshōmaru bow low and snatch up the blonde in his jowls.

For an instant Inuyasha's heart stood still as he watched Sesshōmaru's wicked fangs sink into the gut of his comrade. He was sure that if Deidara's spine hadn't been severed by the bone-crunching bite, then at the very least the razor sharp teeth would disembowel the young man, and the acid would melt his flesh away. It made the hanyou sick to his stomach and to his heart to think that the man he'd known for even only a few days now, would be cut down in the prime of his life. He shut his eyes and hung his head.

A blast sounded, loud enough to shake the trees to their roots for at least a mile, and Inuyasha's eyes flashed open. Sesshōmaru's head was thrown back as fire and blood erupted from the demon's maw. Deidara was standing just across the clearing, unscathed and clasping his hands in the sign of the ox with a wide grin on his face.

The giant monster roared painfully, and suddenly his whirlwind appeared, engulfing him as he transformed again. All at once he lost his size, and looking through the debris Deidara saw the white fade to flesh. As the wind died away, Deidara saw the original form of the demon lord, blood dripping from his mouth and limbs. The once stoic face was now filled with rage, he fangs still bared. Before Deidara could blink, Sesshōmaru had forced him back with a punch, sending him hurdling into a tree. His eyes were forced closed on the impact, and as the opened he was greeted with the sight of the yokai. With acid claws, the white-hair slashed across the shinobi's left shoulder, tearing apart he flesh and running poison through the wounds.

The tides of battle turned rather abruptly, and Deidara clutched the new wound, leaping perfectly vertically into the tree just overhead. Launching himself off of the first branch he came to, the blonde man took off in flight. He needed desperately to put distance between himself and his foe so that even the briefest of field medicine could be performed on the poisoned wound, anything to keep it from spreading. At the very least the laceration would need to be cleaned and wrapped with a tourniquet before the arm could be used again; already Deidara could feel the burning seeping through his muscle.

But unexpectedly his foe was hot on his tail, and with a swift motion the demon pulled Deidara from the air by his ankle and whipped him to the ground. Deidara tried to scramble away, but Sesshōmaru was on him again, his claws posed for his final strike. With the poison already taking its effect Deidara scrambled for an option.

But as it had happened before, with a flash of red, this time from behind the demon, the moment was ended. Sesshōmaru froze and looked to his own chest, the tip of a blade protruding though.

"Get… off, you a-ass. It's over."

Deidara winced as he could feel the pressure of the demon's foot on his chest increasing for a moment before disappearing entirely. Without a second's hesitation, the shinobi rolled away and clambered to his feet, clutching his injured shoulder but keeping himself poised to make another move to escape should it be necessary. Somehow he doubted he would need to make another retreat, however. Sesshōmaru was in a very bad way, the curved tip of the Tetsusaiga glistening with crimson blood and cutting through the yokai's chest plate like it was tinfoil.

As Inuyasha stepped back, so did his brother. The hanyou pulled his brother back to close the gap, getting close to his pointed ear.

"Now you listen… d-don't touch him. This was tragic, b-but you will not kill him. Leave with it, or I'll cut your arm off... again." Inu's voice was wet and haggard, blood still seeping from his chest. "He will not follow or fight you, s-so go. Remember… Rin."

With that Inuyasha slid his great sword out, pulling a heave from his brother. The demon clutched his chest and looked back, locking their golden eyes together before his skin grew into a brilliant white and shrunk into a small ball, whisking off in a rush.

Deidara let heave a dense sigh of relief, still clutching at his poisoned shoulder but allowing his head to hang in thanks for the final reprieve.

"What… the hell was that un?" the shinobi finally murmured, not even bothering to look up at Inuyasha as his fading adrenaline made the younger man suddenly light-headed. "I've battled some crazy dudes with some crazy jutsus up their sleeves, but that… that takes the cake un…" Deidara finally looked up at his companion with eyes that seemed to beg for a rational answer. "I mean… what was that guy? The… the Sage of Six Paths hasn't even been born yet, and it's not physically possible for that guy to have all of the bijū inside. So what… voodoo magic is going on here un?"

Inuyasha looked at him, his eyes vacant.

"What… part of… demon did you… not get-" Inuyasha huffed, but his breath fell short and his heartbeats thumped against the hole in his chest. He gripped it hard and fell to his knee. Letting go of the Tetsusaiga, it burst into light and shrunk to its normal size. Looking at his hand, Inu saw his whole hand covered in blood, and he growled. _Shit… I can't… I can't stop the bleeding_. "Kid, you ok?"

With a furrowed brow, Deidara leaned in to peer at his partner, finding concern in the heavily bleeding, deep wounds in his chest. The young ninja could only shake his head and frown, kneeling next to Inuyasha and taking a good look at it.

"That's not even a question you should be asking un. I'll be fine as long as I can get some of the poison out of my system while we're on our way to visit a doctor, but you?" Shaking his head until his blonde tresses swung from side to side the shinobi sighed and tried to look his partner in the eyes, failing as the hanyou kept his head bowed. "You need an antidote as soon as possible un. Tell me; is there a druggist or a physician back in the old priestess's village? We'll both need some looking at un."

"I'll be… ok, but yeah, the o-old hag's good at patching p-people up. We should get there… soon would be nice. Take one of your birds or w-whatever and go ahead." The hanyou had done some growing up over the years, but he still would never admit his pain. "I... I'll be fine. Just go." His vision was blurry, and before he knew it his leg gave way and he fell hard to his side.

When he looked up, Deidara was gone and for a single instant panic jumped down his spine, but it was gone before he could even growl at it. Heaving to his hands and knees, Inuyasha was about to haul himself to his feet and begin the long, arduous trek back to the village they had only left the day before. The hanyou was stopped suddenly by a hand gripping at his shoulder before he could so much as find his legs beneath him. The younger man had returned quickly with his black and red cloak, wrapping the garment long-ways around his companion's chest and tying it so tight that Inuyasha almost found it _more _difficult to breath.

"Pressure should help with the bleeding, as for the poison; haste is the best cure for that un." Wasting no time, the blonde man wrapped Inuyasha's unoccupied arm over his shoulder and coaxed the other man onto his feet for long enough to stumble onto the waiting back of a snow-white falcon. When both men collapsed onto its spine, the raptor spread its lengthy wings and beat them fiercely, jerking up into the air and taking off back towards the south where the much needed miko would be.

Inuyasha didn't move much, eventually resting his eyes, finding that relaxing and slowing his heart rate would also impede the spread of his brother's venom through his veins. His ninja comrade on the other hand sat up with his back to the wind pressing his right palm against his own toxic wound. The mouth on his palm did its own part to clean the wound, sucking out the tainted blood while the ninja spat the foul mess out of his _normal_ mouth off of the back of his mount.

Content with his effort, Deidara glanced to his partner, finding his eyes shut tight. Dei could see the half-breed's eyes flickering beneath their lids, and his face twitched through his unconsciousness. The blonde frowned at the sight, and before his thoughts caught up to him, he placed the back of his hand on Inuyasha's sweltering forehead. The hanyou cringed away from the touch, but Dei continued until he eventually relaxed. As he left his hand to cool the boiling flesh, he found Inuyasha's face settled into some sort of peace, and he stroked away his bangs.

"Don't you die on me un. You can't die on me."

Giving his airborne steed a quick jab from his heel, Deidara silently urged the falcon faster until even he was forced to lay back due to the speed of the wind rushing past. The time of the journey was shaved down to only hours, making their foot-travel seem utterly pointless. The sun was hardly at its peak by the time the smoke rising from the many chimneys for Kaede's village was visible.


	8. Fight or Flight

Chapter 8

Fight or Flight

Inside the healing hut of Inuyasha's guarded village, the smell of herbs and salves thickened the room. In the middle of the floor, a still unconscious hanyou was laid out, robes removed with a patch of thick green goo spread over the middle of his chest. In the corner of the room, the old miko sat beside a rather tired looking shinobi, smearing the same goop onto his exposed shoulder. He cringed slightly but made no other movements of discomfort.

"So you battled Inuyasha's older brother and lived. Not many can make such a claim, Deidara-sama."

"You –ah– you kidding un?" Deidara looked over his shoulder at the elderly priestess and gave her an odd prideful smile, "that guy was nothing. I mean Inuyasha scared him off, but I coulda finished the job with my art if he hadn't un. And look," the ninja suddenly raised both of his hands, back sides to the miko and wiggled his fingers as if doing so was an achievement, "I still have both my arms un."

At that, the blonde ninja tried to puff out his chest in a boastful fashion, but suddenly grunted in obvious annoyance at some nagging pain and clutched his left pectoral with his right palm.

"Aw crap… don't tell me it's ripped open again un" he muttered to himself, glaring down at his still covered chest before shrugging Kaede's diligently working hands. "Can you gimme a sec here un? I gotta get this thing off." Not waiting one moment for a reply, Deidara grabbed the bottom of his black half-tank and peeled the garment off over his head, revealing that a steady trickle of blood was leaking from what appeared to be an old wound that had been sewn up a long time ago. Nearly a third of the stitches that were holding the wound shut had been broken and the blood was dribbling from a few places where the skin had torn under stress. With a frown twisting his face, Deidara grumbled at the old scar irately.

"Lousy piece of crap Kakuzu. That's the third time this has come undone un… you know what? I'm not re-stitching it either un." With that said, Deidara began to use the mouths on his hands to bite through the thick black thread that remained in his pectoral and remove the last of the stitches.

As Lady Kaede inspected it, her one good eye opened wide.

"Deidara… is that in fact another mouth?"

"Oh, yeah un. The jutsu made all three."

"Then why was it sewn shut, may I ask?'

"It kept drooling under my shirts and I got tired of changing my shirt twice a day un."

"I see… would you like me to re-sew it?"

"Hm… no, it will be fine un. I'll just deal and keep a better eye on it. How's he holding up un?"

Kaede looked over to the other man and sighed.

"He seems fine, as long as he's not moving around and opening his wound more. As long as he sleeps, his demon blood and salve will heal him in a matter of a day. You might want to wait a few days before venturing out again, though. You're wounds aren't as severe, but by the time his chest is healed you'll still be scabbing over."

"Doesn't _that_ just sound lovely un?" Twisting his maw slightly and narrowing his eyes, the younger man grimaced at the thought. Trying to distract himself from the thought, Deidara poked at the green poultice smeared across his shoulder, squishing a bit of it between his fingers and giving the pungent herbs a testing sniff. "So what's in this stuff anyway un? Just like… wild plants and stuff?"

"A little mixture of many herbs, too many to count. But this will heal you up just nicely, as long as you don't strain the skin and relax for a day or two. Do you think you can manage to stay out of danger long enough to heal?"

"Only if I can get three square meals a day around here un." The ninja closed his eyes and laughed, ignoring the twinge he received from his shoulder at the added movement. Deidara smiled and scratched the back of his head. "You know, we kind of left that place in a hurry un. My luck with groceries hasn't proven to be all that great, but I can fetch whatever you need from town un. And whatever way you can think of, I'll make it up to you for all your help un." Slowly the ninja's gaze shifted to Inuyasha's unconscious form, watching his shallow breathing for a moment. "You know… there was some time, about three hours or so, where I thought I was gonna lose him, like, he was going to die before I could get him here un. So I guess what I'm trying to say is… thanks for saving him un."

"You're concern is moving, but you have nothing to fear. Inuyasha may seem like only an arrogant man, but he truly has outlived many terrible things. This was not the first wound to his chest that he will survive. Not only is he physically durable, but he has walked a rough road."

"Yeah, I heard about when he was a kid. I know how he feels."

"Yes, that and the problems with love. I thought Kikyo would surely break his heart and render him dead to the world. But thank the stars for Lady Kagome. She… she brought him back. And now that she has led him through the trials and battles of Naraku, he is truly a better man."

"Yeah… You know, I've been hearing a lot about this Kagome girl un, and it's all got me thinking. What if there _isn't_ a way to fix the well to go back to her time un? Won't that break his heart too, or do you think he might… you know… get over her un?" Deidara leaned his back against the far wall and tugged at the hem of his discarded shirt if only for something to busy his hands with.

"That is not an easy question to answer," the old woman hummed. "He has not had many he trusted in his life, and it is in his nature to be loyal to those he does. He had a terrible love with my older sister, Kikyo, and he had shut himself off after to a point that we all worried he wouldn't love again. But with Kagome… he opened up again, and they seemed happy together. Time will tell if fate will bring young Kagome back, and if it is not to be…" She looked over to Inuyasha woefully. Deidara followed her gaze, seeing his lips twitching ever so slightly. It perked Deidara's interest, and he waited for Kaede to finish wrapping is arm in gauze to sit himself beside his comrade.

He studied the face of his unconscious partner, the way his brow wrinkled even in his sleep as if his dreams were worrying him. The hanyou's ears were folded back the way a distressed animal's would, making the young blonde sigh and pick a piece of stray silver hair out of Inuyasha's face carefully. Deidara could only hope that past his comatose exterior, the man within was not in pain, but that guess was questioned when suddenly the half demon began to groan in his sleep and his forehead became damp.

"Mmm…uh," Inu growled, "…mmM no. Nnnnnn…" He moved his head slightly under Deidara's palm, but settled and again mumbled in his sleep. "Nnnn… -ome… -agome."

The nin leaned in close.

"Kagome?"

"Uh… Kagome, nnnnn. Kagome."

Feeling the elderly priestess shift on the other side of the room, Deidara looked up only to see that the miko had turned her back on the pair and was busy counting out her stores of herbs. The shinobi didn't know whether to be relieved or concerned by the sudden privacy the duo was being given. He only tried his best to console the distraught half-demon, but some inner curiosity drove him to know more about the girl from the future with whom Inuyasha was infatuated. Clearing his throat, the ninja tried to speak to his comrade in as light and high-toned voice as he could, attempting to mimic the sound of a woman.

"Yes Inuyasha, I'm here." Ending his sentence, Deidara barely managed to swallow the 'un' he would have tacked on normally.

With the voice, Inuyasha turned his head. In the back of his throat, Dei could hear the tiniest whimper of his whine, a sad, pathetic noise that the blonde couldn't ignore. He frowned and grazed the hanyou's hand with his own fingertips. The sensation enlightened the unconscious, and Deidara jumped as his fingers were seized and held by the other man.

He wanted to snatch his fingers back. He so wanted to, knowing that the more he came into contact with him the more complicated things got. But he remembered when he had forced the same thing on him. Clutching tight to him like a child the night before last, Deidara sighed and curled his fingers.

"It's ok, I'm here," he repeated.

"nnnn… Kagome. Don't….nnn."

"Inuyasha."

"… go. Stay…..nn, -ay with…."

"You want me to stay with you?" The ninja smoothed his thumb over the other man's knuckles. "But Inuyasha, what if you can't fix the well? What will you do?" Deidara felt horribly guilty for using the dreaming half-demon to take information from, but he planned to make it better; he wasn't torturing the other man or being cruel after all, only probing his subconscious a little.

"Nnn, Kagome, don't lea-…. don't go…"

"What will you do, Inuyasha?"

"…c-can't…. mmm Kiky- not ….nnnot like Kikyo." His words were becoming clearer, his voice rising in urgency. "sssstay, Kagome. Don't leave me…."

"What if I do leave?"

"Nyuuuh…? No… Please d-don't… Kagome…"

"But what if-?"

"I lllllove you Kagome…"

Deidara finally sighed and let his head bow in defeat.

"Don't worry Inuyasha. I won't leave you. I will stay."

The words lingered, and Inuyasha's worried expression faded if only slightly, somehow content with the statement 'I will stay'. Deidara tended to a few more strands of silver hairs before leaving his face to fully relax, being dragged back into his deep sleep.

"I'll stay un."

The young blond was half way through his second bowl of leek stew, being sure to pour the complements onto the elderly chef as he ate, when finally the unconscious man began to stir. Both other occupants of the hut set their lunches aside and waited anxiously to tend to Inuyasha's needs as soon as he was awake. Deidara ladled out a third bowl of wild onions and thick broth in preparation for the waking hanyou's appetite, setting the bowl close as he knelt by his comrade's side.

As the golden eyes shown through the heavy lids, Deidara smiled.

"Welcome back un. How do you feel?'

Inuyasha looked around and down to his chest.

"Like I got stabbed. How bad does it look?'

"Not bad. You didn't bleed through the bandages un. Hungry?" the blonde pushed the warm bowl towards him.

Taking his time, the hanyou sat up, slowly letting his abs fold together until he was upright. He accepted the broth and downed it quickly, nodding to his comrade.

"How's the shoulder?"

"It still burns a little, but not so bad after Kaede worked her magic on it un. You know yourself much better than either of us; how long do you think before you're back on your feet and ready for another fight un? A week or two?" Deidara reached out and pulled the empty bowl from Inuyasha's grip and refilling it before offering seconds to his comrade.

"Feh. I'd say I'll be good by the end of today. Maybe tomorrow morning."

"What are you talking about un? You got stabbed in the chest, like that things hand went into your chest! As he had that poison un…"

"The poison's nothing after you sleep it off, and I feel fine." He scratched the back of his ear before scratching his chest, flaking off dried blood and salve from the scabbed blotch centering his chest.

"Don't scratch it un, or it won't get any better."

"What are you, my mother?" Inuyasha's ears twitched backwards as he growled at his companion, taking the ninja by surprise. He knew at once he'd said the wrong thing and quickly lowered himself back onto his elbows. "Thanks for taking care of me though kid… you too hag. It's nice, I guess."

"Don't worry about it un. I have to look out for you, I mean, where would I be without my star fighter un?" Deidara leaned back until he was sitting by the other man's side and gave him a good humored smile. "Anyhow, I never got a chance to say I was sorry for picking a scrap with your brother. I'd have never done it if I knew you would get hurt un."

"Don't think about it. He thinks he's a bad ass, but he can't kill me. I cut his arm off once; I sure as hell can do it again." Inuyasha's ears twitched as Deidara grew quiet. Inu looked over, glancing at his arms. The scars jumped out at the hanyou, and he cringed. "Aw, I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"No no, don't apologize un," Deidara suddenly raised his hands up as if to ward off the possibility of more admissions of guilt from either party. "I more than trust you not to tear my arms off un, as feral a beast as you are, you have my conviction un." Deidara put his arms down to let them come to rest on his knees and gave his comrade a forgiving smile in return. The moment might have been complete had suddenly Deidara not cussed under his breath and reached for hi discarded cloak, wiping a trail of slobber from the gap in his left pectoral.

Inuyasha inspected the activity, Deidara trying to cover it by turning away.

"What is up with that? Are you sweating of something?"

"Don't ask un. Just leave it be."

The day continued on, both men having their wounds tended to and food forced into their gullets. As night fell Inuyasha insisted they made camp elsewhere, assuring the priestess that Deidara's wounds wouldn't be ignored. In the twilight, the pair had traveled several miles away and found the mouth of a shallow cave to squat in for the night. The fire flickered and crackled playfully as Inuyasha poked it, annoyed with how small the flames were.

"It's better to keep the fire low un," Deidara murmured taking a seat next to his companion and staring down at the little campfire. "It will be harder for anyone to track us as long as we keep the light low, and by someone I mean Itachi un." With a long sigh escaping from his chest, the ninja rested his chin on his knees and wrapped his arms around his bent legs, grabbing one wrist to keep himself curled up. "You know… I'm really glad that I ran into you in the woods three days ago. You… you saved my ass if not my life un… and I'm grateful."

"It's nothing. You see things like that happen, and being better off than some, I learned that sometimes you gotta stand up… for those who can't. Sure, most of the time you don't get a thanks, but when you do… it's kinda worth it." Inuyasha folded his hands within his sleeves, not knowing what to do with them.

"You're a noble man Inuyasha. Not many people would have intervened, but… you did." With a slight shake to his head and a chuckle to himself, Deidara turned to look Inuyasha in the eye, suddenly feeling his heart pounding in his throat just looking at the half demon in the half light. "I… I feel like I could say 'thank you' until the day I died and it wouldn't ever be enough un… I'd like to… well…" He leaned forward quickly but not urgently, and before Inuyasha could realize what was happening, their lips were pressed softly together.

It was gentle and warm and kind; there wasn't any sense of rushing at all, if anything time seemed to slow. Their lips rested together, just touching in the mildest of kisses, and that's where they stayed, as if Deidara was waiting to feel a reaction from the other man. It was a tossup, and he was waiting for the coin to land and tell him, acceptance or rejection.

But he didn't really get a clear answer, as the man before him froze, but didn't pull away. He simply stiffened, holding his breath until Deidara eventually retracted his offer.

Having the space to breathe, Inuyasha let his lungs go through his nose.

"Um… thanksss, uh yeah." He looked away quickly before the real embarrassment set in.

Deidara's shoulders hunched and his head hung low as he too turned away, but more in shame than embarrassment, though embarrassment was in the mix of emotions that made his stomach churn. Silently the blonde man returned to gazing into their tiny campfire with his brow furrowed and his chest heavy.

"I… I'm sorry… for having done that un… You're… I'm sorry un." He sighed and squeezed his eyes tight shut as if squeezing all of the humiliation out of himself. "I… Just being around you this much… and you're so… nice to me un… I've been starting to feel things that I don't feel a lot… but I guess I was hoping too much un…"

"Well I mean… It's just, I can't… um it's not you. I don't…." The hanyou's ears lowered slightly, senselessness being the puppeteer of his mouth. "It's…. this is… it's wrong. Not you, but…. It's not me."

Deidara glanced up looking at his counterpart with eyes that suddenly seemed much wearier than they had only minutes before.

"Inuyasha… I know this might not be the question to be asking right now… but do you trust me un? Because I trust you… with my life un…" He waited for a reply, chewing slightly on his lower lip as he looked up at the hanyou hoping for one answer and fearing another.

"Trust… isn't that easy." Inuyasha pulled out his hand and scratched his scalp, finding the need to draw his attention away from his face. "I'm not a guy to go…. Trusting everyone. Kid I don't…. I don't even trust myself." He looked over and found his partner's eyes glossy and hopeless. "Aw man… it's not like that. I mean… I trust you not to kill me. I do trust you not to…. Not to hurt me. Is that ok?"

"I hope so un…" Deidara nodded slowly and closed his eyes for a moment, taking in a few silently deep breaths as if preparing to dive underwater. "Close your eyes Inuyasha… and trust me that I won't hurt you un…"

As the words hit Inuyasha's ears, his heart solidified in his wounded chest. Before he could take control of the moment, Deidara had already moved in, and Inuyasha could only comply and shut his lids tight before the shinobi plunged in again.

The air was still and Inuyasha waited in agony for the instant to start and end, but to his surprise he had to open his eyes to discover his lips pressed to the other man's. With the realization that he was already engaged in the act, the hanyou tried to regain some sense, like how to breathe. Deidara's lips were soft but held their place against his, and his hot breath came through his nose. Inuyasha took in a breath, taking in the man's smell along with the oxygen his lungs screamed for. As they continued the connection, Inuyasha's jaw slackened, but to his amazement this made Deidara accidently push in further, more area of their lips locking together.

Suddenly, he could feel the pressure ease up, and all at once, Inuyasha's lips became cold. It took him still more time to realize that Deidara had taken it upon himself to end the kiss, but not in regret this time, but having found it to be complete. The half demon's golden eyes met again with the clear cerulean of the ninja's, and Inuyasha tried to swallow, only to find that his mouth had run drier than the Bone Eater's well.

"Did that feel wrong to you un?" came the blonde's quiet murmur, taking Inuyasha's own words and turning them back on him.

The silver-hair's throat swelled painfully, and it hurt to exhale. As he did, he could only manage one word.

"…..Deidara." His head leaned in, but the half-breed's movements caught Deidara off guard. He expected either a rushed advance or an attack in rejection, but instead Inuyasha rested his forehead against the other man's, taking the passing seconds in with heavy breaths. Nothing made sense anymore, Inuyasha panicked, and there was no one to help him process things… except him.

He could feel the younger man's knuckles stroking his cheek softly, reassuringly as if in doing so he could magically calm the half demon's flustered confusion. He could feel how relaxed Deidara was, and to an effect, it soothed the hanyou's nerves as well.

"It didn't feel wrong… did it un?" the shinobi's eyes were closed as he spoke; somehow he could tell that Inuyasha would give him attention regardless. "I could tell… something about that felt right… didn't it un?"

"… it's just not…. N-natural to me. I don't…. I don't show this to anyone…. No just g-guys. It's n-not you…. I'm not… I don't like being…." Inuyasha's jaw trembled and he fought to clench it. He wasn't going to lose it, not now. He could allow this little moment, but he'd be damned if he lost it all now. "But…. It wasn't bad."

"Maybe it's time you opened up a little bit un," the whisper made Inuyasha's spine tingle like he'd been touched by a ghost. "You need to… every once in a while… just let yourself out un. It isn't good to stay all bottled up for years. I… I can show you how un…" All of a sudden Deidara could feel his own heart slamming against his chest, and he was sure that he ears would be flushing red if not his cheeks already. Hope flared up in his throat and threatened to choke the ninja out.

Inuyasha's skin crawled as the invitation was put out into the air, an as he was still muddling over his choices, he felt something hot and slimy smooth over his neck. Pulling back he saw Deidara's left hand extended to his shoulder, and by running his hand up the limb he found the ninja's hand clasped beside his throat. Inuyasha pulled the hand away and blinked at the tongue flicking inside the mouth occupying the hand.

"Just relax un. I… I can take care of you."

Somehow the ninja managed to snake his hand out of the other man's grasp where it fell slowly to rest on the half demon's kneecap. Gently he squeezed at Inuyasha's knee, rubbing the joint softly as if to entice and reassure the hanyou; it was a careful action. As brash as the younger man's offer was, his actions seemed to be much more cautious, giving the impression that he was just as unsure as his partner.

In his mind, Inuyasha couldn't figure a correct response. All of his previous experience in life told him to end it, stick with the familiar and move on like nothing happened, but the three years without a companion… it had another idea.

Inu breathed hard through his nose and grasped Deidara's wrists. Taking the biggest chance in his life, he brought the limp hands up and placed them on either side of his neck.

The ninja was delightedly surprised, giving a pleased gasp at the near roughness of his companion's actions. At once the mouths on both of his hands opened and began a series of intimate ministrations upon Inuyasha's throat. The strange, extra orifices began slowly, trying the waters by kissing and licking gently at the other man's column of skin. When surprisingly, the hanyou closed his eyes as if to better enjoy the exotic new sensation, Deidara stepped up his performance, adding suckling and nipping at his comrade's flesh to the menu. It wasn't surprising, however that after a long moment with his eyes closed, Inuyasha again felt the ninja's closeness, followed quickly by warm lips pressed against his own.

As it was before, their mouths simply pressed together, but unlike the previous, Inuyasha's eyes drew open and the touch of something hot and slick gliding over his bottom lip. Curious, he repeated his prior accident and slackened his jaw, and he quickly found a new force exploring his mouth. Deidara's natural tongue gently flicked his lips inside their sealed kiss, and Inu made no move to cease the action. Taking the lead, Dei pressed on and breached the barrier into the hanyou's maw, pressing his muscle against the resident's. With the nerves in his neck being set on end, Inuyasha let his tongue relax against the other's, fronting the image for the shinobi to continue.

Smiling against Inuyasha's lips, he flicked his pink muscle and engaged the others, bringing that kissing dance to beginning.

With a little coaxing, the younger man finally was able to entice his partner into play, leading their tongues in a kind of curious tango. He showed the half demon the rules of the game, the way one tongue should treat another. Before long, the wet muscles were engaged in a heated dance, each fighting for the lead but in some sort of eventual lapse, Deidara relinquished his command. Like an omega wolf showing its soft underbelly to the alpha, the ninja allowed his tongue to be dominated, giving in and instead massaging the hanyou's muscle with his own.

As the two mingled inside each other's mouths, Inuyasha took too long to realize what was happening. Letting this unfold was one thing, but was he actually conducting? Inuyasha's hands trembled midair as they searched for some use, and in a last ditch effort they settled against the slender ribs of the blonde. He instantly thought to regret the action, but with their mouths intertwined Inu could taste the pleasure Deidara had from the hanyou's touch. He dared himself and smoothed his rough hands over the thin cloth, sliding away to hold Deidara's back, and feeling the heat in his chest overwhelm hi system, he pulled hard, bringing their chests together. The ninja gasped into their mouths, but the kiss was not broken. Inuyasha's mind was reeling with thoughts of future regret… but for now…. This was good. This was… it simply was.

The silver-haired man barely realized that the extra mouths had been removed from his neck, only coming into this knowledge when suddenly the fabric fell away from his chest. He gasped as the chilled fingertips of the ninja found his exposed skin almost immediately, gliding slowly over his pectorals as still their kiss continued. It was so fast, but so fresh and so new and so alluring, Inuyasha could hardly argue as the soft caress sent tingles through every pore they touched.

He growled into Deidara's moist mouth, digging his fingertips into his partner's back as the sensation soaked into his muscles. All of the nerves on his chest tingled around his massive wound, and the gash itself radiated with every heavy heartbeat, driving his senses more insane. His instincts drove his actions between their lips, conducting his play in more of a manor of fighting than leisure, his canine nature forcing him to strive for domination rather than mutuality. But tried as his mouth did, Deidara ran the show with his oral massages scattering over Inuyasha's worn torso.

As hot and erotic as it all was, the kissing, the touching, the closeness, there were unspoken boundaries that would not be crossed. All the while, Deidara, in all the sensual wanderings of his hands, neither touched the wound on the hanyou's chest nor the pink buds on his pectorals. It was as if he feared that the level of the mood would be ruined if he defied certain rules of engagement. The half breed scraped his razor sharp claws softly across what skin of the ninja's was exposed on his back, causing the young artist to shudder with delight and moan quietly into the kiss.

That's when Deidara drew away, leaving his partner to wrestle with the air for a moment before their lips became reconnected, returning the chaste nature of the original kiss.

"Mmmmm," the blonde man hummed, rubbing his hands over the hanyou's flanks, "Inuyasha un…" He kissed his comrade more urgently between every word he spoke, and even his words were rushed so as to spend as little time without their lips connected. "Oh… let me… let me please you un… Mmmmm… let me make you feel good un…"

The hanyou hummed his approval, drawing his right hand up the shinobi's spine until his palm rested on the base of his neck. Loosing himself in the second, Inuyasha wrapped his fingers around Dei's neck and pulled, cradling his neck backwards to expose the blonde's neck. Like a prewritten manual, Inuyasha sought out the tender flesh and nosed it, taking in his lingering scent. The pheromones drugged his sinuses, and muting his uncertainty he gambled his situation and licked the sweltering tissue.

"Deidara," he purred, "show me. I'm ready for you…."

By now, the shinobi had been nearly dragged up Inuyasha's body until he was straddling the half breed's hips. His hands suddenly found their way to the hanyou's shoulders gripping them while he leaned his head back and gave a sultry hum, wanting to take all of the attention his neck could get before moving away. The ninja gulped in an attempt to swallow a thick moan that rolled in the back of his throat, but gradually the hot tongue on his neck turned to lips and eventually ceased altogether.

Gulping again, this time to swallow his arousal, Deidara looked down to meet eyes with his partner. The ninja's face was hot, his cheeks were stained pink with the sheer excitement of the situation, and his breath was even beginning to come in short. Further down his body, the ninja's baggy navy blue pants were significantly less baggy, aided by the throbbing that was filling his groin rapidly. But it would have to be ignored for the time being, the situation was still too dangerous. He would start to consider treating himself after he had met the needs of Inuyasha and was sure that the feeling would remain mutual.

Taking a moment to solidify his resolution, Deidara heaved a heavy breath out of his lungs if only to calm his erratic breathing. In the next instant, their lips were connected yet again, but only for a brief moment as the shinobi's mouth traveled downward. He backed away slowly as his lips left a trail of hot pecks and the occasional flick of the tongue down Inuyasha's jaw to his neck and to the top of the wound in the hanyou's chest. He skipped quickly over the still healing flesh and restarted the trail at the half demon's well defined abdominals. Deidara's tongue glided over every ridge in the other man's muscular belly, even dipping into and swirling around his naval until he met the obstacle of the obi that held Inuyasha's hakama up. Even then the tongue persisted further, sneaking underneath the crease of the scarlet fabric until the tip brushed against the wild fur growing upward from the hanyou's genitals.

Even though Inuyasha's head was swimming from the passion and fire burning through his veins, he felt the tickle of his hairs and ceased his bliss.

"Wait, hang on!" he shouted. Was this a border he was willing to cross? "What… w-what are you doing?"

Deidara closed his eyes and ran his tongue upward until it escaped the confines of the half demon's hakama but still tickled his abdomen for a few heartbeats before disappearing altogether. With a soft sigh, the shinobi nuzzled his partner's belly with passionate affection, not daring to look up to meet Inuyasha's eyes lest he find disapproval. Instead he hummed happily, sensually, as if being on the cusp of oral sex, everything was right with the world.

"Mmmm… Inuyasha… I thought you wanted this… you're so good to me un… I just want to make you feel so… so good un."

"But kid… I don't know. This is… I don't know if I can. I mean before… that was good. It was ok, but this... I'm not sure if I can." His whole life, Inu had had trouble with love and affection alike, not daring to show tender emotion less it be seen as weakness. Weakness always led to pain, and he was tired of hurting. The touch, the taste, it was all in good fun, but when it came to below the belt…. It was private, intimate, and completely foreign. He had only the briefest encounters of sex with the priestess Kikyo, and then it was solely on instinct and blind passion. This was out of his knowledge. It was out of his comfort zone, into dark waters he had always feared to tread.

All at once, the young man between his legs went totally limp, his head falling to rest so that his cheek was pressed into Inuyasha's taught abs. Deidara shivered and squeezed at the other man's hips and gave an almost pathetically needy whine. He looked like the lack of such intimate physical contact was driving him crazy if not killing him.

"Oh please Inuyasha… you said that you were ready for me un… please… please… let me help you… let me give you so much pleasure un…"

"I thought I was- I mean I thought you weren't gonna…. Urg! I thought you meant… like touching and stuff, like we were just… I didn't think you'd…" He searched for the words to not hurt his partner, but couldn't think of any. It wasn't him… not entirely. It just wasn't…. it didn't feel effortless, not like he thought it would be. This was… complicated.

Deidara looked up at the hanyou with eyes that pleaded for attention, begging the other man for a yes. He was nearly trembling with want and excitement and anxiety; he didn't want for everything to come to and an end before it had even begun. He wanted to make this connection with Inuyasha, he wanted it so badly it made his muscles ache, and the prospect of it being rejected made him desperate. The shinobi was struggling for a foothold, trying to get his fingers into the crags and dig in, to get the permission, to get the acceptance, to get anything.

"Just try… take the chance and let me show you how good I can make you feel un… if you don't like it then just say the word and I'll stop and we don't ever have to speak of it again if you don't want to un…" With a shudder surging up his spine, the ninja buried his nose in the warm muscles of his partner's taught belly. "Just give me a chance un…"

"Kid, I…" Inuyasha cupped his hand cautiously against the soft head of golden hair. But his touch sent a wave of nuzzles and mews, sweet and tantalizing, the tops of his walls crumbled, making his shoulders slump. It was a moment he could control, affirmed by Deidara himself. He could direct it. He could stop it.

But… did he really want it to end.

"Ok, kid. Go…. Go ahead. I'm ok."

In a strange way of acknowledging that he understood, the ninja turned his attention to the hand that caressed his crown so softly. He nosed and kissed the palm before finding one finger with the tip of his tongue and running the wet muscle up its length. Singling out the half demon's ring finger, Deidara suckled softly on the very tip of the digit and made soft sounds of contentment.

The hanyou fought to swallow the lump forming in his throat, letting out a breathy moan. It was a simple action, simple and sweet, but as the tongue stroked more aggressively, it turned erotic and discomfited.

Not even bothering to look for the other man's reaction, Deidara gave one final kiss to the hanyou's pointed claw. With the declaration of his current action being finished, the ninja picked up where he had left off by kissing his way down his partner's abdomen once again. When he came to the cloth that barred his way to the other man's groin, the shinobi again slid his tongue beneath the scarlet fabric until he could taste Inuyasha's silver fur below. Retracting his tongue after a long moment of blindly exploring beneath the hakama, Deidara took the end of his companion's obi between his teeth and gave it a sharp tug to undo the bow.

Inuyasha leaned over to watch the process unfold, but he was bared by a strong hand pushing beside his wound. Deidara pressed forcefully, and Inu ended up leaning against his palms the cold, rough floor of the cave. He groaned softly, but kept his chin down, able to still see all of the ninja's activity.

The knot fell open in the younger man's teeth, and with a quick jerk of his head, the sash was tossed aside. With its binding gone, the blood-red hakama drooped, its tight creases evening out as the baggy fabric took on its loose nature. Licking his upper lip slowly, Deidara captured the very top edge of the pants between his jaws and began to drag the cloth lower. For a moment he paused, shifting his gaze up to again meet Inuyasha's. The look was reassuring, but also begged the question if the hanyou was ready for what came next.

His lips trembled slightly, but taking a breath they broke open and let in a loud inhale. But as he watched the blonde wait for him, Inuyasha clicked his teeth and inclined his head.

Taking the motion, Deidara restarted by dragging the red cloth the rest of the way, shimmying backwards until the hakama came to rest bunched around Inuyasha's knees. All the while the shinobi kept his eyes closed enough to keep the vision from clarity. When he looked up to finally take in the visage of his partner's undergarments, his mouth went utterly dry and he struggled to swallow a lump that had risen suddenly in his throat. Beneath the hakama, the hanyou wore nothing at all, and Deidara had come face to face with the other man's half-hardened member.

With the cool air suddenly engulfing his warm cock, Inuyasha shivered and clenched his hands against the stone ground. It was mortifying, his member displayed naked, Deidara simply staring at it. He wished he would do something, the chill and stillness was killing him.

Slowly, as if in a trance, Deidara crawled forward very slowly, never taking his eyes from the hanyou's groin. The closer he came to the half erection, the more and more moisture found its way into the blonde man's mouth until he was almost drooling hungrily. Frantically the younger man struggled to swallow all of his saliva but still he failed to decrease the wetness of his own mouth. Finally giving up on the losing battle, Deidara found himself arrived at his so badly desired destination, staring down the half demon's shaft. The organ was so close that the shinobi's breath wreathed around it with every exhale.

Finally, he couldn't stand it any longer, and his tongue came out, licking the entire organ from the tip to the base. The action left a hot, wet trail of saliva all the way down the shaft.

All at once Inuyasha's hips jerked inward, the sensation stealing his breath. For his last scattered thoughts, the older man had tried to run through every possible reaction, every scenario that could possibly happen, trying desperately to prepare and not make a complete fool of himself. It was obvious that this young man was experienced; knowing the right movements and words to connect with another lover, but Inuyasha was lost. Even with the image of Deidara devouring his tender member, he couldn't prepare enough not to violently react. Thinking back to his night with Kikyo, it was more mutually new to them, neither having any skill in lovemaking. Now he was clearly outmatched. Inuyasha eventually let his clenched jaw slacken, and he looked down to find his partner patiently waiting, head respectively far from his cock.

"Sorry, kid, I didn't-"

"You're… a virgin un…" The shinobi lowered his eyes as if to ward off some qualm that threatened to conquer his want. He stayed off the guilt and dug the end of his nose into the soft skin at the very base of Inuyasha's shaft, nuzzling the hot, loose skin before pressing his lips against it. He kissed the lightly pulsing organ in a very chaste manner, letting his warm breath issue from his nose and blow against the top of Inuyasha's member. "Are you sure that this is okay with you un?"

"I'm not a virgin!" Inuyasha howled. "I mean, I don't do it that much, but… um, I don't' really need do, uh…. Do you…. Do you know what y-you're doing?"

"I'm sure un."

Inu looked away, his face painfully flushed.

"Ok…. Then go ahead." He clenched his fingers again, relaxing as he felt Deidara's hands placed firmly over his hips.

The shinobi half nodded and half nuzzled the warm skin just below the half demon's cock. Without much more hesitation, his searing hot tongue licked a long, wet trail up the underside of his partner's cock, grinding the flat of his tongue against the just visible, sensitive head. Releasing one of his hands from where he had been squeezing gently at Inuyasha's sharp hip, Deidara took a loose hold of the member. He gripped it just enough to hold the organ steady as his tongue found its way all around the mushroomed tip. His tongue poked all the way around, sneaking just barely beneath Inuyasha's foreskin and slipped across the tiny slit at the very tip of the hanyou's penis. Gradually the end of the hardening member became dripping wet with Deidara's saliva as it gradually grew towards full attention.

All the while the hanyou tried to stifle his moans and heavy breaths, concentrating on not bucking or squirming away from the alien attention he was receiving. It was the most relaxing and nerve-racking thing he had ever felt, not at all like the sex he knew about. His head was spinning at it took all his strength not to pass out.

His eyes widened and the half demon nearly yelped with surprise as without any warning, Deidara covered the end of his nearly full erection with his mouth. The ninja shifted slightly between his partner's legs so that he was kneeling between Inuyasha's knees. With his balance reaffirmed, the blonde man's exotic hands both found the shaft of Inuyasha's member, cupping it gently and guiding it into the shinobi's maw.

The mouths on the artist's palms did their work, nibbling at the throbbing sides of Inuyasha's cock while the younger man's natural mouth pulled the organ in deeper. Saliva slid down the hanyou's erection as Deidara engulfed it further, covering the topmost three inches without so much as gagging. He hummed softly, no true melody, simply a noise that vibrated his whole mouth and tingled every sensitive nerve it touched on the end of Inuyasha's penis.

Inuyasha's mouth was dry and hung wide open, his claws digging into the solid stone for some kind of grip. Too much, it was too much. He had lost himself with Kikyo, but this was more than he could ever imagine. Just the feel of someone tending to him on such an intimate level…

Something inside the half-breed's mind, something feral and untamed surfaced again and prodded Inuyasha for an answer. Since the first contact of Deidara's soft lips, this shadow inside him had materialized and swam around his panicking thoughts. He had tried to ignore it throughout the whole process, but now it was screaming in his ears.

_Fight or flight, Inuyasha?_ His demon blood boiled in his veins, driving him to choose to either seize control and mate the other being or abandon the whole situation. Now that his member was being worked into an unbearable state, he couldn't ignore the burning desire to have Deidara, but with some many uncertainties, it wasn't worth it to rush lustfully blind into it and find himself enslaving this poor man he had grown fond of to his demonic desires.

With an alarming whine, Inuyasha grasped the sides of Deidara's head and forced him away, digging his calloused heels into the rough stone and pushed himself backward, creating a divide between them.

With a yelp, Deidara fell to his chest with his support yanked from beneath him like a rug, his chin digging into the stone below and his skillful tongue winding up pinched harshly between his teeth. The shinobi looked up at his partner with a glassy-eyed expression of shock which dissolved gradually into horror. His heart sunk until he could no longer feel it, leaving a heavy gap in his chest that simply ached. His eyes begged the panic in Inuyasha's face to regress, they begged for the other man to reconsider, to take him back into the beautiful intimacy they had been sharing.

There was no such luck. It was ruined. Any chance Deidara had at finding a future relationship with the half demon he had come to be so emotionally and physically attracted to had just been crushed. The shinobi squeezed his eyes shut and mashed his forehead into the cave floor covering his head with his hands and grabbing two fists full of his blonde hair.

He'd fucked up. Royally fucked up. Somehow… he'd probably never know… he had done just what it took to earn the rejection of the half breed, and now he'd never get his approval back.

Suddenly he heard a rustle before him, and looking through his scattered tresses he found himself alone. Not only had he scared his only friend in this world, he had scared him off.

In the dead of night, a furious mutt sprinted though the forest, running blindly to some sort of paradise where he could make sense of things. Everything was well with the world, a little section time and space couldn't touch where he was happy and Deidara was happy, and he had thrown it all away. All was lost because of his ignorance and fear. He always ruined his own happiness, but why did he have to ruin it for others. Inuyasha's feet dug deep and he quickly wrapped his obi around his waist, ignoring his open robes that fluttered behind him.

After an hour of straight running into the thick of the trees, he found a small stream and halted. Looking back, he hoped he hadn't been followed. As the silence settled in around him, Inuyasha huffed and sat himself next to the trickle of water.

"Dammit," he cursed to himself. "Why do I have to fuck up everything?"

Back in the cave he had left far behind, Deidara had hardly moved an inch. He couldn't stand himself; he had been so close, things had been so perfect and he had managed to let it take a wrong turn down the road to ruin. The shinobi could do nothing but hate himself and wallow in his own self-loathing. He'd been abandoned completely and there was nothing left for him but the living hell that awaited him in Itachi's arms.

The shinobi's body hated him almost as much as his mind did. The intimacy with Inuyasha, as short-lived as it was, had been more than enough to fuel painful arousal in his loins. All his physical wanting aside, the blonde couldn't bring himself to satisfy his own need, he was far too dejected for anything more of that nature. He stayed crouched in the cave with his forehead pressed into the cold rock floor contemplating what he would do when the sun rose and he was on his own once again.

For hours, Inuyasha grumbled to himself over his cowardice and confusion, and Deidara slowly lost feeling and sunk into a half sleep, half waking state of misery. But as remains of the moon were high in the sky, Inuyasha cupped his hands around his face.

"I have to go back. I... I can't leave him now." Even though things had become unbearably complicated, it was unjust of him to leave the alien to this world alone against a force like Itachi. He had to go back.

Rushing back, Inuyasha peered into the mouth of the cave and scanned the scene. The fire they had made was now a pile of embers pitifully hanging onto life. But the glow was bright enough for the hanyou to make out the lumped outline of his comrade, and with slow movements he determined that he had fallen asleep. Thankfully.


	9. Inner Demons

Chapter 9

Inner Demons

The pale dawn broke early in the morning, reaching its long, purple arms into the cavern where two sleeping figures were mounded together on one side. Just outside the world was still wreathed in a gray mist that clung to the air as if holding on to the night for dear life. As the sun climbed above the horizon, her golden rays smote the gentle fog, evaporating it and leaving only the cold droplets which clung to what green they could find.

With the moisture clinging to his exposed stone, Inuyasha's bent knee collapsed as his foot slipped. The motion jerked him awake, and he blinked away his sleep. Stretching out his unoccupied arm, the hanyou looked out to the new morning, but the realization caught up with him. His left arm was occupied. His golden eyes slowly crept to his side, and indeed he wasn't alone. A sense of déjàvu crept in with the sight of Deidara clinging to his arm unconscious beside him.

Every now and again the younger man would fidget in his sleep, reacting through tiny muscle spasms to the world of his dreams. The corners of his lips twitched, but it was impossible to tell whether it was through an involuntary smile, or a frown. His fingertips wriggled a little against his comrade's forearm, and in the paled morning, the soft face of the shinobi seemed perfectly innocent; there wasn't a single trace of the sinful seduction that had tainted his lips the night before. It was almost as if there was an angel holding onto the hanyou's arm.

Inuyasha watched over him, letting him continue his slumber. Nothing dangerous could come of it, he thought. The soft twitches became more apparent, and he thought back to the last time this had happened. He sighed and smoothed over the blonde's head, around his ponytail and over his cheek. Deidara's face warmed and a simple noise slipped past his lips.

"_Itachi un…_"

The sound was hardly a whisper, but rang in Inuyasha's ears as clear as day, he couldn't have possibly imagined that. With a quiet hum of contentment, the blonde nosed the arm to which he clung with affection.

The hairs and the back of the hanyou's neck bristled. He took his free hand and rustled the shinobi's shoulder.

"Wake up, kid. It's morning… get up, Dei."

But the blonde mewed again, letting the hated name slip through again.

"Mmm Itachi, it's too early. Let me ssssleep."

Suddenly the ninja found the arm to which he had been clinging ripped from his grasp as he was dumped rather unceremoniously onto the floor of the cave. Deidara woke with a start and flailed to stop the falling feeling too late as his skull took a fair crack from the stone below. He looked around wildly for the source of the abuse, looking quite surprised to find Inuyasha by his side.

"I-Inuyasha un! You came back!" he blurted almost as soon as laying eyes on the hanyou.

The older man ignored the burst and kicked at the remnants of the night's fire.

"Build a fire, I'll get breakfast."

"Wait!" the blonde called before his comrade could quite get out of the cave, "why did you come back un?" He was willing to forget the rude awakening and the sudden distance between them if only it meant that Inuyasha wasn't going to abandon him based on what had transpired the night before.

Inuyasha stopped.

"… I told you I'd help you stop Itachi. I intend to do that no matter… no matter what else happens." He sighed and left temporarily, searching out small game for the two to feast on.

Deidara flinched away from the obvious scorn in Inuyasha's voice. He could tell that the offense he had managed to chase the other man off with the night before was still lingering like a festering wound. He looked down at the fire pit dejectedly. Inuyasha would have left him for dead if he hadn't promised to help him with his little "Itachi problem." Suddenly the young artist felt as if he was the lead weight bound to the half breed's ankle, the infected wound that would not heal, and it made his heart sink. He couldn't hold Inuyasha to a contract like that, it would be torture for the other man and things between them could only get worse.

With a few quick hand-seals, the ninja re-ignited the campfire with what dry wood there was left piled up. His one assigned chore having been done, Deidara quit the cave as quick and silent as a shadow, only hoping that Inuyasha would count his blessings and not come looking for him.

He traveled for a good half hour into the woods, watching out for any traces of his former comrade. Pulling all of his years of ninja skill, he scanned the world around him, taking to higher ground in the trees. If he was going to go this alone, he was not going to let someone like Itachi sneak up on him. He looked from the top of his current tree perch, finding that the forest extended back for miles until it hit the thick of the mountains. He decided to venture deeper and find shelter close to the mountain.

Ten minutes into his journey Deidara was already nearly 3 miles deep into the uncharted mangle of primeval forest. Pausing warily at the edge of a clearing traversed by a quietly bubbling stream fed by the melting snow caps on the northward mountains. With now sign of sentient life in any direction, the shinobi dropped down out of his perch in the trees to land beside the stream. He would have to put aside the caution against drinking natural water seeing as he hardly had the time to boil it. He cupped his palms into the frigid brook and brought it up to his face letting his guard down only long enough to quench his thirst.

"My, you travel fast, kintori-kun," came a hiss from behind. Deidara almost didn't have time to turn around, the man he so passionately avoided taking ahold of his throat. The blonde shinobi struggled under his grip, the raven- hair forcing him to the stream. The brook splashed around him until Itachi hoisted him up, taking his time punishing the younger man. "Now why have you been running from me, Deidara? I've been worried."

The blonde man grabbed at the hand that squeezed on his windpipe and coughed desperately, trying to clear his lungs of the water that had been forced down them. He sputtered and coughed up a mouthful of water before he could even begin to respond.

"You -… you try to drown me in a stream and you… eheh! … have to ask why I've been running from you un?" With a sudden burst of strength, Deidara wrenched the other ninja's hand away from his throat, stumbling backwards into the brook but quickly dropping into a defensive stance, prepared to use whatever tricks were necessary to escape.

"You knew I'd find you, Dei. Why make it hard on yourself? Why make me search for you and be the bad guy?" The Uchiha growled and threw a handful of kunai at the other Akatsuki member, but Deidara was quick to dodge. But with the distraction, he wasn't ready for another physical attack from the other nin. Itachi was on him in an instant, his last dart in hand held tight to the blonde's throat. "It's time you stopped playing with your new puppy and come home."

His Adam's apple bobbed slightly as the younger shinobi swallowed a lump of panic that had risen in his throat. He could feel the transformation of power in his enemy's blood-red eyes and he knew in the churning pit of his stomach that his control was fading fast. Without being able to raise a hand against Itachi, the blonde slumped forward, his eyes growing hazy and blank as his mind was invaded by the power of the Uchiha's genjutsu.

All at once his vision was stolen, the world around him going black. He looked around for any sign of life, and when he did, it almost stopped his heart. In the traditional style of the shinobi's attack, Itachi was standing before the cowering blonde in inverted colors. The raven-hair leered down at Deidara.

"You're 72 hours starts now, kintori."

With two young hares clutched in the crook of his arm, Inuyasha bounded back to the camp having been successful in his hunt and returning with enough food to keep them both well fed until the evening.

"So tell me again… what the hell are doing you here?" the hanyou pondered to his shoulder, carful to keep his eyes up for the low limbs in his path.

"I told you," a tiny voice chirped from his shoulder, "I am here to make sure you are faring well, Master Inuyasha."

"Well I'm fine, you little bug. Besides, if I was in a jam you couldn't help anyway, Myoga." It was in fact Myoga, the traveling flea demon that was perched on the hanyou's robes, clinging tight to the red fabric lest he be blown away. "Besides, I've got someone I'm traveling with that can hold his own. Here, I'm bringing back breakfast back for him anyway."

He was pleased to return to a much larger flame leaping upward from the fire pit as if the blaze was just begging for fresh meat to be cooked over it. He paused for a moment, glancing around the mouth of the cave; Deidara was nowhere to be seen. The hanyou kicked the dirt away from one slab of stone before dumping his kills onto the rock less than gracefully; his ears folding back as he sniffed tentatively at the air. His partner's scent was stale; he'd probably left just after Inuyasha had gone out of sight.

"Where'd ya go, kid? I got breakfast!" Inuyasha cupped his hands and shouted into the brush, but no answer unsettled him.

"master Inuyasha, who is this person you're traveling with?"

"Kid? Deidara! Come on, I suck at cooking!" Again, no response. "He came from the bone Eater's Well and we're trying to figure out this whole mess. Let's go." Inuyasha's ears lay flat and he abandoned the scene, bringing the pint-sized demon with him.

If Deidara was gone, it was for one reason. Inuyasha couldn't fathom a reason the ninja would willingly be alone in a time like this.

Plunging deep into the forest, he caught a hold of Dei's scent and followed. Along the way his panic peeked, catching the other shinobi's scent laid alongside. It looked as food would have to wait.

Inuyasha finally heard the soft cry of his comrade echoing near the stream he had cooled off in the night before. He pressed his toes deep into the soil and pushed himself further towards the awaited battle. Myoga could only tuck himself into the folds of the hanyou's robes, not able to fight the wind.

As the clearing came into view, ice ran through Inuyasha's veins and he almost came up short as he laid eyes on the scene. Itachi clutched at his comrade's neck, squeezing the soft flesh to the point where the younger ninja was struggling for breath. The eyes of the two men were locked, but Deidara's were glazed over with a kind of mental absence that made Inuyasha's stomach turn, as if his mind was totally dead. Just as Inuyasha landed in the clearing only meters away, Itachi released his victim, sending him falling backwards into the brook like a discarded ragdoll.

With the blonde taken care of, Itachi stood and dusted himself off. But with his senses drained from the genjutsu, he didn't anticipate a man driving straight into him and wrestling him to the ground. Inuyasha tried to pull out the Tetsusaiga, but Itachi caught him with a left hook and sent his head back. Throughout the confusion, Myoga managed to wriggle his way out and bounce out of danger, making his way to Deidara.

"Hey, get up, you! You'll drown that way! Get up!" Getting no reaction, the flea pulled his usual stunt and latched onto the shinobi's exposed throat. Even with the Uchiha's attack, Dei responded by slapping the bug, rousing himself from his stupor. He quickly drug himself out of the water to lie in the grass, only vaguely aware of the fight taking place in front of him.

While the young artist lay on his back staring glassy-eyed up at what sky filtered down through the canopy, Inuyasha had managed to wrestle Itachi's shoulders into the ground, pinning the enemy ninja. With the dagger in his hand, Itachi wrestled for a good angle, lunging forward with the threat and thrusting it at Inuyasha's weak stomach. Where he had expected the knife to plunge through soft flesh and horribly wound the man on top of him, Itachi was surprised to find that his weapon barely made a dent. He could feel it sink past several layers of skin and soft tissue but reaching the half demon's muscular abdominals, the weapon came to an abrupt halt.

Inuyasha growled as he shoved Itachi off of him, bringing his weapon to shield himself with the blade's edge facing his opponent. But in the blink of his eye, Itachi was knelt before him, his right hand pressed firmly against his forehead. The energy pushed both of them back, Inuyasha's body going instantly numb and allowing his sword to slip from his grasp.

His eyesight went slowly black and Inuyasha couldn't feel his limbs responding to his frantic commands. As the earth died away, Inu grunted and groaned against the weight of Itachi on top of him, but he soon disappeared, and the hanyou found himself alone.

There was nothing but pitch-blackness and silence, and the hanyou had to swallow a lump of nervousness that caught in his throat. All at once the perfect nothingness was shattered. As if fading out of the mist, the image of Kagome came walking towards him, but there was another figure accompanying her. The pair was distance but became progressively clearer the closer they came. Kagome was smiling and giggling at something that her companion had said, holding the figure's hand affectionately. Inuyasha tried to focus on the new character but could only make out that the visage was a man. The new man smiled at Kagome and said something in a low voice that made her face light up, she nearly skipped as she stood on her tip-toes while still walking beside him and leaned in to kiss the other man happily on the lips.

Instantly Inuyasha called out to her, but even he couldn't hear his own voice. She continued on with her unknown companion, walking right into him and through to the void behind him. He leaned to look back, but his arms were frozen, and his heart filled with terror at the sight of chains binding him to the ground, completely paralyzing him and chaining him in place.

Again the hanyou found himself completely alone in the utter blackness. His heart sunk, knowing that he had just seen Kagome moving on with her life in the modern world; it didn't even look like she remembered him at all. He tried to shut his eyes to clear his mind, but even that function of his body had ceased to obey his command.

In the next instant the pure nothingness exploded into fire reaching upward in all directions for eternity like the flames of hell. There hollow around him resonated with the ear-splitting scream of a woman in agony, sending a terrifying shock down the hanyou's spine. As if crawling up from the deepest pits of hell, the source of the noise emerged from the flames at Inuyasha's feet. It was Kikyo. The priestess had flames in her hair and on her miko robes and she clawed her way up Inuyasha's body taking hands full of his hakama.

"Why?" The hell-bound woman wailed at Inuyasha as she clung to the chains that bound his entire body. "Why did you kill me Inuyasha? Why did you forsake me? Why did you revoke my love?" The blaze from her body was creeping onto Inuyasha's robes as she still kept a powerful claw-hold in his robes. "Why would you abandon my love for that _man_! What can a man give to you that a woman cannot?"

Again Inuyasha's throat burned from his screams, but he was silent before the undead miko. But as he poured all he energy into trying to reason with her, she released his clothes, rising up to stand in flames before him.

He raised his face to meet hers, and it shook his core to find a sickening smile plastered over her burning face. She slowly knelt before him, cupping his chin with her mangled fingers.

"My poor little half breed. You see, this would have never happened to me if I had never met you. If I had just killed you that rainy night. But no, I was naive in thinking a filthy demon could ever serve as a companion, let alone a lover. And now because of you I walk the earth in a hollow shell of my former self, the chains of hell binding me to that clay prison. All because I took sympathy on a hanyou."

Suddenly she seized and back of Inuyasha's hair, yanking his head back to meet her incoming face dead center. He eyes met with his, and he could see flames licking the inside of her eyes.

"She was lucky to escape you. At least she was able to escape the fate you bring upon all your lovers. How could anyone be as foolish as to think a monster like you could ever be loved? That a creature that both worlds reject could ever bring happiness, or anything more than pain and death? Everyone you touch, Inuyasha, has had to watch you butcher and mangle, and that comes from demon blood coursing through the veins of an animal that can't handle it! You're a wretch, Inuyasha, and I hope when the day comes that some hero ends our life, that the flames of hell forever char and eat your soul, so that you can feel the pain you inflict on everyone you have ever known, and they will have retribution."

The priestess took a hold of either side on Inuyasha's face, cupping his cheeks in her flaming hands and forcing him to look deep into her deep, soulless eyes.

"Inuyasha. I've seen you from hell. I've seen the way you allowed that whorish man to touch you." Suddenly she narrowed her eyes to show the half demon the pure hatred that shouldered in her eyes like red-hot coals. "Because you gave to a man the same body you gave to me, for you there will be an especially deep pit in hell. It will be your home… and your tomb."

Inuyasha tried to mouth his words finding himself without voice, but she didn't wait for one. Stepping from his line of sight, the vision of Kikyo waved to the once empty stage before them, letting a light from her burning body illuminate it. A few feet away, Inuyasha's eyes watered at the sight of Kagome and Deidara, knelt together hand in hand with their faced blocked by their long hair.

"You see Inuyasha, this is the fate of those you come to curse with your love." The two knelt figured glanced up, and as their hair fell away Inu had to suppress his gut reaction to vomit. Their faces were slashed and chewed away, both of their sets of eyes clawed form their sockets. His captor forced his face to meet her own, and Kikyo too shared the ruined face and gouged eyes, showing through to the endless abyss inside her. Inuyasha's tears streamed down his face and he thrashed against his chains. But before he could make any true effort, all of the wind was ripped from his lungs as five daggers of fire were plunged into is recovering wound. He hunched over to stop it, but slowly they twisted and dug out his heart, tugging violently.

"I'm going to save them, Inuyasha. With this last chance I will make sure you don't hurt another soul on this earth or any other plane of existence! I will drag you to hell with me, me love, and together we shall rot for eternity!" The hanyou tried to brace for the next step, but nothing could ever prepare him to have his heart ripped out by his ex.

The burning miko wrenched her arm back, taking the beating organ out and letting each artery and vein snap in front of Inuyasha's eyes. He silently screamed for mercy, but the fallen priestess only laughed and finished with a victorious screech, holding up his still beating heart in front of him like a harpy's trophy.

The blood rushed to fill the void, but Inu couldn't breathe or process the searching blood, only able to sit and let himself bleed out and choke to death. But as his blood flowed freely, it boiled and inflamed every muscle, every bone, every cell in his body, and he could feel the familiar fire in his chest begin to work its feral magic on his body. His fangs and claws grew to terrifying length, his eyes blazing from the corneas as they took on their sapphire and blood red hues.

Like some evaporating toxin, the flames in all directions disappeared, and Kikyo with them, dissolving back into the hell from whence she came. The chains around Inuyasha's body tightened and rattled as if trying to contain the demonic energy that spilled from every pore in his body. The iron bindings groaned and glowed like hot embers under the stress of holding the half demon captive until all at once the chains melted and shattered and fell off of Inuyasha in heavy loops. The utter blackness all around him shattered like glass, falling away in massive sheets and crumbling until there was nothing left that separated the hanyou from the blinding light of reality.

In the light of day, all stared in horror as the hanyou growled and shook under Itachi's control. The two shinobi could not fathom any living creature able to regain movement while still in the genjutsu, but the flea yokai knew otherwise.

"Quick, human, retrieve the Tetsusaiga and get it back to him!"

"What un?"

"The sword, the sword! Get it to him, hurry! There isn't much time! Hurry!" the tiny demon yelped in front of Deidara's face. He hopped over to the humanized demon blade, trying to draw the blonde to it. But before Deidara made a move towards it, he cringed back at the sight of Inuyasha once he became silent. Somehow the hanyou had forced Itachi back and had been hunched over, growling under his breath. But now his face shown through his bangs, his feral eyes fixated on the younger man.

Deidara swallowed hard and slid his body backwards, dragging the rest of himself out of the brook. He could see the wild look of pure rage and hate and pain, like the gleaming eyes of a tortured beast that had severed the lock of its cage. The ninja bit his lip to keep it from trembling as the demonic silver-haired man stared him down with a cocktail of hellish emotions. The monster inside recognized Deidara and hated him and lusted for him and craved for his blood to spill. As the canine demon turned his head towards the bomber, he could still do nothing but back slowly away from the feral beast Inuyasha had transformed into.

Inuyasha began to lean forward into a pouncing position, but strangely to Deidara's luck Itachi struck, again slicing a kunai at the hanyou's skin. But this time the shinobi couldn't even break into his skin, and with rapid speed Inu knocked the dagger from his hand and was on him before he could think of his next move. Itachi could only fend off the raging half-breed, not able to reach for another hand weapon or regain enough chakra to form another attack. He could only grunt and tumble with Inuyasha who was bent on killing him with his god given weapons, snapping and clawing at him viciously.

By nothing more than sheer luck, the raven haired ninja managed to land a nasty strike with a blast of concentrated chakra to Inuyasha's neck. The sting made the half demon yelp and go limp for a moment as if he'd been jabbed in the throat with a cattle prod. The brief lapse gave Itachi just enough room to scramble away and by the time Inuyasha had recovered, the shinobi was well into a series of hand signs.

As the silver-haired man shook off his daze, he crouched, feeling his feral instincts inflaming every sense and driving the sentient part of his brain mad as little by little his humanity ebbed to the power of his demon blood. With a snarl like a territorial animal, Inuyasha tensed and launched himself at the enemy ninja; he was seeing red, blinded almost completely by fury. Itachi, cursed by the Sharingan, could see through the rage and the power and the ferocious exterior and detect the blind lunatic within. As if he had time to spare, the ninja hesitated for a mere fraction of a second before shifting his body at a speed to rival that of the enraged canine demon.

Before Deidara could so much as blink, Inuyasha had been knocked out of the air mid-pounce, a powerful jab, coursing with an electrical jutsu surged through the half breed's jaw and with an explosive result, sent him sprawling.

Inuyasha landed hard on his side, but he rolled to his crouch once more, staring at the raven-hair with death in his eyes. But unexpectedly a wicked smile crossed the crazed man's face.

"_Oh Itachi_…" the hanyou purred in coarse tongue. "…_I'm going to kill you, Itachi_."

"I highly doubt that," the Uchiha sneered. With that, he ran through another string of hand signs, setting off Inuyasha. The hanyou charged at Itachi, but as he reached him the man exploded into his usual flock of ravens, encircling and cawing at the demented hanyou. Inuyasha turned in circles trying to find his enemy, but the birds continued to taunt him, occasionally pecking and clawing at his body.

Inu growled in frustration, but his animal instincts guided him to block out his failing vision, the birds distracting his pursuit for the shinobi. He shut them tight and listened close to the rush of feathers, smelled the swirling air, and all at once Inuyasha's eyes shot open and he dove into the sea of black. The crazed demon opened his mouth wide and came into contact with his target. With a satisfying grin, he clung to Itachi from behind and bit down hard into his jugular.

The enemy immediately stiffened in the half breed's grasp, his entire body locking up as if a single bite had killed him and sent the corpse into instant rigor mortis. Blood spilled from the hated enemy's soft throat, flooding Inuyasha's mouth until he was nearly choking on the fluids of his foe. For a brief instant, panic tightened in the demon's heart as if he feared drowning in the steady flow of the Uchiha's blood. With a snarl like a rampant wildcat, the hanyou tore his fangs from where they had been imbedded deep in the weak neck of his enemy, allowing the body to fall from his arms and collapse in the dirt where it began to soak in a pool of its own blood.

Heaving a sigh as if in relief, the silver-haired demon hunched over in a momentary reprieve from the howling monster that lit his mind on fire. Still the fire caught a second wind and blew back to life, twisting Inuyasha's stomach into knots and making him hunger for still more carnage. Like the blind, wild creature he was, the demon again attacked the fallen man, sinking his teeth into Itachi's blood-soaked shoulder and tearing at the muscle before moving his head just to the left and tearing through the flesh of the downed man's upper arm. With the feral sounds of persisting hatred, Inuyasha crouched over his foe and systematically began to mutilate and gore the body, only to be happy when there was nothing left of Itachi to return again.

Deidara cringed as he maimed Itachi's body, watching the man, just the night before he was willing to give himself to, tear apart the man he had already slept with. It was gruesome and made his stomach churn. He scooted back even further, but the rustle in the grass caught Inuyasha's attention, turning his blood drenched face towards the blonde.

"_Aw, I almost forgot about you_," the hanyou rumbled from his chest. "_What's the matter, kiddo? Don't like the 'real me'?_" Inuyasha grinned through his bloody teeth, turning his body away from the tattered mess of Itachi to crawl towards Deidara. "_You still wanna play? I might warn you… I do bite._"

Gulping to swallow the fear he was sure would be seen on his face, Deidara took a split second to reason with himself. This wasn't Inuyasha drawing nearer to him like moon-mad beast, it had been, but he was no longer and he needed to be treated like any other enemy: without sympathy or mercy. The ninja's mind was flying through his options. Run… he had seen Inuyasha's enhanced speed, there would be no way he would escape and even then there would be retribution to pay. Explosive clay… the other man's animal-like senses might detect the smell of the clay; even if he didn't to prepare the clay would take too long and the demon would be on him before he had even begun molding. Earth-style jutsu… there wasn't a technique he knew that would be any match the raw power of the feral thing Inuyasha had become.

Then the tiny insect that had pestered him before caught the corner of Deidara's eye as he beat a cowardly retreat through the underbrush. It was just the jolt the ninja's mind needed as at that same second, he remembered the discarded sword. He looked to the half-sheathed blade resting where it had been jettisoned onto the opposite bank of the stream. Glancing back to Inuyasha, the bomber calculated his chances of lunging to the weapon and using the demon sword against the crazed monster before he could receive the same fate as his fellow ninja. The silver canine demon sneered at Deidara as still he crept closer like a cat stalking a tiny rodent.

"_You don't think you'll be able to use that sword against me, do you kiddo? It only transforms for __**me!**_" Hoping to catch Inuyasha off guard, the blonde suddenly dove for the blade, ignoring the pain as his wounded shoulder was sliced back open against a sharp rock and ground into the gritty pebbles on the far bank. With a savage roar, the demon pounced landing directly over Deidara with his terrible, bloody maw agape to bare his deadly fangs. The ninja had his fingers around the worn hilt and with one swing, drew the ancient sword from its sheath. The beast looming over him snarled and plunged his head downward with the full intent of giving the younger man's neck the same treatment he'd given to Itachi's.

The attack came up short and suddenly Inuyasha threw his head back and howled like the cry of a thousand agonized wolves. The tip of the untransformed Tetsusaiga had met its mark, sinking into what still raw gash there was in the demon's chest. The refreshed wound sizzled and hissed like a steak on a grill, issuing with steam and crackling from the point where the end of the ratted blade sunk past the wounded skin.

Inuyasha gnashed his teeth and slapped the blade away, doing more damage to himself than desired. His hand burned from contact with the blade, and even as the toxic sword was dislodged it ripped apart the wound more, letting his blood pour from his chest. The beast snarled and clung to the wound, allowing his prey to scramble away. Deidara watched his former partner curl on his knee to cradle his chest, growling and barking at himself through the continuous sizzle. The shinobi looked at the blade in his palms and settled on his plan; he had to make the hanyou touch the sword, simple as that. Deidara leaned back onto his heel and mentally said his prayers, hoping his next move would work.

He launched himself at Inuyasha with the Tetsusaiga in hand, but the half-breed heard his approach and rose to meet him. Inuyasha easily overpowered Deidara, but the blonde shoved the blade into the open hand of Inu as it came down to slash at his face. Again Inuyasha howled, but instead Deidara was diligent and shoved his adversary over onto his back, keeping the sword pressed tight into the hanyou's hands. Keeping the sliver-haired creature pinned, Deidara entangled his fingers with Inuyasha's and clasped the Tetsusaiga between them. He could hear and smell the flesh on the other man's hands burn, but he ignored the screams until they died away. Inuyasha closed his eyes tight and clenched his jaw, and slowly the violet streaks that stained his cheeks faded until they were no longer seen.

Suddenly the half demon shuddered and his whole body went lax as if his muscles had all turned into jelly. His breathing came in ragged as if he had just been to hell and back and was completely exhausted. At the same time, he seemed suddenly vulnerable making Deidara's heart sink to know that he was at least partially to blame. Finally feeling comfortable that Inuyasha had in fact returned to his normal state of being, the ninja heaved a heavy sigh and rolled off of the other man to lay on the bank to his right. In a different way, the blonde man was feeling the heaviness of fatigue, the adrenaline of fear was finally beginning to work its way out of his system, and leaving the young man feeling drained.

Slowly at first, Inuyasha's eyes creaked open, the whites of his eyes and golden irises returned. He rubbed them roughly, unknowingly smearing blood into them. He blinked and fidgeted with it, looking at his claws. His eyes constricted.

"What… oh shit."

Inuyasha sat up and looked around. To his left was the mangled remains of some victim, far too ruined to identify. Horrified, he looked to his right and let his chest exhale at the image of a whole Deidara. He quickly crawled over to him, seeing that even with his breath ragged, he was intact and for the most part unharmed. "Kid… are you ok, kid?"

Swallowing and concentrating on making his breathing even, Deidara ignored his companion for as long as he possibly could. Finally fed up the half demon's persistence, the younger man wove his fingers through his own hair as if in an exasperated gesture, letting his resolution collapse.

"Yeah, dumb ass, I'm okay un," Deidara kept his eyes closed, and his partner couldn't tell if it was because he was simply too tired to care or there was some deeper underlying meaning behind his sudden distantness. There seemed to be a profoundness to the young ninja's sudden lack of energy, as if there had been an unseen, more ferocious battle that he had weathered and now he was simply spent.

Seeing that the stage behind them was used and stained by the blood of some creature, Inuyasha rose and shyly inspected the carcass.

"What happened, Dei? I remember fighting Itachi, and then I couldn't see, and… what did you do to me?" Inuyasha's voice cracked as he tangled his bloody fingers through his hair. "W-what happened to me?"

"Oh Master Inuyasha, you are alright!" From the cover of the brush, Myoga popped back out and greeted the hanyou, certain all was safe.

"Myoga.. what happened?"

"M-Master Inuyasha," the flea stumbled, "you… you uh, t-transformed, you see. The other man, and dark haired one with blazing eyes… that's what's left of him over there."

Slowly, cautiously, Inuyasha crept up on the tattered remains of his mutilated foe. He peered warily at the shredded body, not wanting to see the carnage he had caused in his mindless state or rage. He squinted at the fallen man, his brows furrowing as he laid eyes on the man's mop of short, jet black hair. There was something not right about the body, of course apart from the fact that the flesh had been flayed in several places. Hadn't Itachi had a long ponytail running down his back?

Taking the chance, Inuyasha prodded the untouched side of the corpse with his bare foot, to be sure that the enemy was dead before giving the cadaver a good shove and rolling it over onto its back. The appearance of the body was more bearable from the front side, allowing the half demon to take a good long look at his unlucky victim. There was still something wrong about the corpse.

It was not Itachi's.

The face of the man was that of rough, darker-skinned peasant simply wrapped in Itachi's clothing. Inuyasha gulped and his mind went reeling; how was it that this man was not his intended foe? He could have sworn that his enemy had been the Uchiha but clearly this corpse did not belong to the enemy shinobi. He had the blood of an innocent man on his claws, soaking into his clothing, in his eyes, and in his mouth.

"I.. I thought it was just us here. How- how did this guy get here?" Flashes form the past blinded Inuyasha's vision and he almost collapsed. His nightmare, all over again.

"No, it was just us, Inuyasha un," Deidara called form his place in the grass. "That's what he does; pulls some unlucky guy into the mix and uses him as a decoy un. It's hard to tell the different when you're…. Um, when you're in the heat of battle. Even I have a hard time-"

"Was he dead before I ripped him apart, or did I kill another innocent person? Tell me that!"

Deidara stretched out spread-eagle on the bank and grunted, feeling the tickle of sunshine on his nose, but finding it hard to find joy in the notion.

"Don't worry yourself un," the bomber replied, his voice sounding rough and tired like he'd been screaming for hours. "That poor bastard was dead long before this battle even started; you just tore the shit out of him enough to break the illusion un." Combing his fingers through his hair, the ninja tried to take some comfort in the lull after battle, but it seemed as if there was none to be found. "Besides un… there are a lot worse things you could do that killing one innocent man un… try burning entire villages alive and see how that makes you feel before you go complaining un."

"Sorry if it's hard to deal with a raging monster inside of you that starts killing any time it feels like!" Inuyasha growled. "You think I like coming out of it with blood and guts on my hands and not knowing from who it came from? It could have been yours, kid! I could have-" The hanyou buried his face in his palms, further smearing his face with the peasant's blood. "-I could have killed you and not even known. When this shit happens… I can't do anything to stop it."

Rolling his head back so that he looked at Inuyasha upside-down, the ninja spread his arms out on both sides of himself airplane style and sighed.

"You know… you say that you might have killed me like it's such a horrible thing un… what if that's exactly what I deserved un? What if I would have been okay with it un?" The half breed took a moment, staring blankly at his comrade as if he couldn't understand exactly what he was saying or if it had all been some sick joke. Being okay with dying? What in all the hells was Deidara suddenly talking about? "I've killed more people that I could count if I tried un… and I've been hurt too… maybe it would be better if I just died un… you know… just ceased to exist all at once, like an explosion un."

"Kid… you're an idiot. You can't have lived through all of this and just… quit! No, we've fought too hard, put up with too much shit to quit now!" Inuyasha knelt beside Deidara and leaned his bloody face over the blonde's, making sure he had heard him. "We're not going to sit here and play 'pity party'. No, we're going to go find this bastard and end him! Unless you have a problem with that now?"

Still the blonde looked up at his companion without an expression, letting his breathing come in slow and heavy as if there was a foot pressing down on his chest.

"Nope un… I am broken, don't even try to put me back together because it won't work un. He broke me… I ought to just put some of that C4 clay to good use and go out with a bang un… I don't want to do this anymore un…" He heaved another heavy sigh still staring blankly up at the other man with tired, hollow eyes. "I'm done un."

"What are you talking about? What," he stopped. He remembered what he saw as he had first entered the scene, with Itachi's hands wrapped around Deidara's throat and the hollow look the blonde had as the villain cast him aside. "…what did he do to you?"

"He… hurt me un…" the ninja's tone was beginning to sound more and more robotic, like already he was giving up. "He gave me a good ducking in the stream, and when I refused to go with him…" Deidara came up short, turning his head away in shame and closing his eyes; he couldn't bring himself to keep looking up at his comrade. "He trapped me in his eyes un… and for 72 hours un…he made me… I… I don't want to think about it anymore un… he did horrible… horrible things un… I'm… I'm done un."

Inuyasha recalled those strange eyes, taking away his vision and replacing them with a vista of horrors he never dreamed or ever intended on living through again. He could only imagine if it had been the raven-hair what horrors he had made his ex-lover suffer through. He looked at the nin, looking into his dulled eyes, and he felt his next words fall perfectly into place in his head.

"Deidara… if you get up, if you stay with me through this and don't quit on me… I will not let anything hurt you. Not ever. But you have to get up right now and promise me… you won't quit."

Blinking slowly, the younger man let the words soak in very gradually as if taking time for each letter to digest in his mind. All the while there was a stillness about him that was almost eerie. His hands opened and closed sluggishly, the action seeming to be part of his thought process as he mulled the decision over in his brain like working clay in his hands.

"I thought you would hate me un… I said we won't have to talk about it every again if you don't want to… I guess I'm asking you if it's okay to talk about it un…"

"First… why did you leave after I did? You knew I was coming back… right?"

"Yeah un…" the blonde man sighed and sat up so that he wouldn't feel quite so tiny and looked-down-upon by his comrade. "And that was the problem… After last night… I was thinking… still am really… that you are disgusted with me un… you sure ran out like you were…" Deidara grunted and wiped one hand over his eyes as if he had just woken up from a dry-eyed slumber. "I guessed you only came back because you feel obligated to see this thing with Itachi out un… I don't want to keep you under guilt like that… it isn't right un. So I decided to relieve you of your burden… I'm just surprised you didn't just count your blessings and leave me un."

Inuyasha placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder, letting Dei turn to look directly at him.

"I told you I'd help you because I want to help you. You're not a burden… you're my friend, and I'm not going to let anything happen to you. You trust me, right? If you do, then I'm going to do what I can to justify that trust. Last night…" Inuyasha's shoulders slumped and he took back his hand, folding them into his sleeve out of habit. "Last night was… new. I was just jumpy, that's all… it had nothing to do with me being disgusted by you, or whatever… I just wasn't- wasn't ready, I guess. But it's not you. You're.. you're a great guy, Dei, and… I mean that."

Grunting, Deidara leaned forward and held his head wearily in both palms, his long golden tresses falling in a curtain all the way around his face. Again he let the half breed's words sink in slowly, trying to figure how to respond to clear, blatant, unexpected acceptance of friendship.

"I… I just felt so awful when you left, I just knew I'd done something terrible, crossed some line… I was sure that you'd never want to see me ever again… I… was sure that you'd hated it un…"

The hanyou sat back and let Deidara sulk, only offering words to straighten him out.

"I didn't- I don't hate it… I mean I don't do stuff like that often, but… it wasn't that I didn't like it. It was… a demon thing. I know you don't believe it or whatever, but that's what happened. I can't control it, even though I've spent most of my life trying… I can't, and it's something I've struggled to deal with. It's not just the fighting and killing, I found out… I has to do with… sex and stuff. When you were... yeah, something wanted me to rush in and finish it, and we just started. So I either had to ruin the whole thing by jumping you, or I had to stop it. I… I didn't want to hurt you, so I had to stop myself before I could."

The young man could feel a shudder jump up his spine as the words suddenly sent a flash of imaginative thoughts to his mind. He gulped a lump of sudden nervousness down his throat and he scrambled to his feet if only to escape the closeness so that Inuyasha would not see how badly the words affected him. Quickly he combed his fingers through his hair so that it lay flat if only to distract from his racing thoughts.

"Uh, right, right un… no I understand… but um…" he cleared his throat so as to make his voice sound more sure and less jittery "Don't we need to get moving soon if we're going to find a new camp by nightfall un? I mean Itachi obviously knows we're here, so oughtn't we get a move on un?"

Myoga returned from his whereabouts, allowing his friend a moment alone.

"Master Inuyasha, I heard of the events of Lord Sesshōmaru-"

"Not now, flea. We have another asshole to worry about- Kid, wait up! Hang on, I wanna tell you something." He tried to catch up with Deidara, but the shinobi kept a respectable distance between them.

Walking at a rather brisk pace for a man who had minutes before been immobilized by trauma, the ninja was trying to keep control of his own thoughts. There was fear and elation both in the back of his mind and underneath all of that embarrassment. Deidara had gone from thinking that his companion would hate him forever to knowing that there was a burning, demonic desire for him deep down inside of Inuyasha. He was excited and terrified at the same time, wondering if Inuyasha could snap at any moment and demand to have his wicked way with the ninja and if that were to happen… if he would say 'no.'

Inuyasha stepped up his speed and closed in on his partner, almost knocking the insect demon from his shoulder.

"Kid, I- hang on! Hey, come on," he reached out and took a hold of the sleeve of the black cloth yanking hard. Deidara, in his state of panic did lose his footing, and with the force of his arm being pulled back spun him around, straight into the arms of Inuyasha. The shinobi tried to avoid those golden orbs searching out for his sky blue ones, but with a tender hand his face was guided to meet the others'. "Dei, I… I'm not going to hurt you. I want you to know that, ok?" Gauged, the red sleeves of the Robe of the Fire Rat wrapped their way around the blonde's body, pulling him into the hanyou's body with no escape. "I'll do everything I can not to let anything hurt you. Even if it's… me. I won't let it."

Inuyasha could feel the other man shudder for a moment in his arms, but was completely helpless to tell whether it was a sudden release of bent up stresses, or a tremor of terror. There was a sudden awkwardness to the embrace as Deidara found himself at odds as to how to react. His arms were stiff, but semi-outstretched and he seemed to debate whether or not to return the hug. He gave the half demon's back a kind of rigid pat before eventually settling in to return the gesture fully and wrap his arms around Inuyasha's torso.

Finally Inuyasha could feel the stiffness in the other man relax as he accepted the embrace, letting his head rest against the hanyou's shoulder. He let himself leg go for a moment; to feel the softness and warmth of the familiar arms around him and let the gentile touch make him feel safe for what might have been the first time in years. Deidara pressed his nose gently into the half breed's shoulder softly, giving the other man a slight nudge.

"I trust you not to hurt me Inuyasha un," the blonde murmured into the cloth of the other man's robe.

Inuyasha took the shinobi's shoulders and pulled him a step back, taking in the moment. Suddenly the hanyou's eyes softened and Deidara watched him lean in. His blue eyes constricted, not able to decide the right way to respond. At the look of it, Inuyasha was opening up and actually… leaning in to kiss him, no prompting or obligation to it. If he chose to let him, would that mean…or would that be asking too much of him? His head went spinning from every 'what if' that popped into his head, and at the last moment he shut his eyes, letting whatever the older man was intending happen. He press his lips together and felt his face warm with the silver-hair's breath, but as he counted his heart beat three times, he felt no touch to his lips, but to his forehead instead. Deidara instructed himself to breathe regularly, taking careful breaths and letting the moment settle in or disappear. But to his amazement he opened his eyes to Inuyasha leaning against him, their brows and noses softly brushing against each other.

Though miraculously, the younger man's heart wasn't racing terribly, but all the same he could feel the steady drum of the organ against his chest. As surprised and glad as he was, Deidara was also nervous and apprehensive; all at once everything had become worlds more real than it had been. He was completely familiar with the feeling that filled his body from his throat to his gut with an anxious tingling; it was something that the ninja still did not know how to deal with.

Everything had suddenly changed. The feeling of being the infatuated, needy man driven by some sudden impulse after his companion had entirely shifted at once, even as Inuyasha returned only the simplest of affections. There was no denying it any longer to himself, though the world was another matter entirely; there was something about this other man that made Deidara's heart throb.

The touch did end as Inuyasha stepped away, returning back to the matter at hand. Deidara smiled at him, content with his actions.

"So we should go find another hiding spot. Myoga, you got any plans or are you tagging along?"

"Well um, I was just seeing how you were faring, Master Inuyasha, but um… the matter of Sesshōmaru I still wanted to discuss. May I have your ear?" the flea stuttered.

Inuyasha nodded and looked back to his partner, glad to see a compliant smile while Deidara took the lead, leaving the two demons.

"What about it? There was an accident and he tried to kill us. We fought back and-"

"Never mind that, who is this human you're traveling with? I had heard you were seen with someone other than Lady Kagome… What are you thinking?"

Looking up, Inuyasha caught sight of the shinobi, keeping his distance ahead of the other two and allowing them a private conversation. Inside his own mind, Deidara was busy counting the plentiful joys of life and one that he counted time and time again was the friendship of Inuyasha if only because he loved the way the though sounded in his head. It put an extra boost of energy into his legs and if he wasn't bent on allowing the half demon and his new tiny companion a peaceful interlude, he would have leapt into the trees and bounded forward at full tilt.

"Myoga, you can't pop in at a time like this and start wagging your finger at me. A few days ago, he was in trouble, I intervened, and now I have to finish this. A man like Itachi can't go running around. It's like Naraku all over again, nothing good can come from him."

"Master Inuyasha you know I'm speaking about _this_ man. What was that a moment ago?"

"None of your business, bug. I do what I want, and it's not for you to judge me. Kagome… I don't think she's coming back."

"How do you know?"

"Deidara and Itachi came from the well, and Kaede and I can't figure out what it means. But form the looks of it… I won't see Kagome again."

"So you're just going to give up? For shame, she was the best woman in the world and you're just going to-"

"Shut it, flea! I'm not discussing this!"

"But master Inuyasha!" the tiny demon gasped, scrambling up one of the man's silver tresses to cling to the outer shell of his pointed ear to whisper into it even more quietly. "That person is a man, master Inuyasha. Don't you understand the implications? You are treading dark, dark waters. You will forever tarnish your father's great name! I beg you not to do this master Inuyasha!" By the end of his little spiel, the flea was practically yanking on the man's ear as if in doing so would cause him to listen better.

With a swift hand, Inuyasha pulled the clinging flea off and squeezed him between his fingers, holding him up close to his face.

"Now you listen, Myoga, because I'm not going to talk circles all day. What I do is my business and whom I do it with is my business. I don't' give a shit what my actions do to my father's name, because this is my life. I have never cared what others think because mostly they already hate me, so if I want to be with someone, I will. People hated it when I loved Kikyo, they did when I loved Kagome, so what makes you think I care if they still hate me? I have to protect him, and if that's a problem for you, you can go fuck yourself!"

"M-master Inuyasha! You need not be so harsh." The insect held up his four arms as if to dismiss the things that he had said before. "If you care so passionately for this man then there is nothing that I can do to keep you from doing as you please… I was only suggesting that you-" The tiny flea demon was interrupted as ahead of them both, Deidara had paused and turned to the sound of raised voices.

"Is everything okay with you guys un? Look, I'm sorry about the thing with Sesshōmaru or whatever… It didn't exactly go the way I had expected un… it was really an accident…" Still walking ahead of his companions, the blonde tried to slow up his pace just a little bit so that he could at least apologize to the miniature talking bug.

"We're ok, kid, just one more minute, ok? Then we can really start looking." The hanyou smiled and was relieved when the shinobi returned it and went back to walking. Inuyasha sighed and returned back to the yokai. "Ok Myoga, I'm going to be around Deidara for a while and I don't' want to hear anything about it. I am struggling with this myself, so I don't need anyone else throwing on their judgments and making things worse. You are not going to say anything to him, understand?" the silver-hair gave an added squish to the flea, making him yelp.

"Ok ok alright! I will not speak of it. I just worry for you."

"Don't. I can take care of myself. Always have."

"Just don't forget all the people who have supported the longest." With that the tiny bug leapt down off of his friend's shoulder slipping through his fingers as Inuyasha tried to snatch him before he could get away. With a few bounds, Myoga had caught up to the blonde and made haste to jump up onto the young man's shoulder. The flea perched himself onto the collar of Deidara's robe that had been folded back to be kept out of the shinobi's face. He hardly noticed the presence of the miniature demon sitting on his shoulder. Seeing the tiny creature out of the corner of his eye, the blonde suddenly hissed and blew at the intrusive insect. Myoga would have been blown right off of his perch if he hadn't been able to catch a hold of the black cloak before going flying. As the tiny bug crawled back onto his shoulder, Deidara gave the demon an apologetic grunt, frowning and almost having to cross his eyes in order to see the flea so close to his face.

"Oh… sorry… didn't see you there un."

"Well, no harm no foul" the bug groaned and scratched the top of his balding head. "Anyway, I didn't get a chance to introduce myself earlier. I am Myoga, and I have been advisor to the Inu clan for thousands of years… and you are?"

"Um… Deidara… nice to meet you Myoga un…" Ad odds with what to do, the ninja extended his left pinky to the little insect, offering the digit to be shook like a hand.

The yokai took it thankfully, then settled back on the ninja's shoulder.

"So Master Inuyasha tells me that you came through the Bone Eater's Well?"

"Yeah, but we can't figure out how un."

"I see. Do you intend on staying in our time or returning home?"

The blonde looked ahead and sighed, letting his shoulders bunch for a moment.

"I've decided to stay here… settle down, maybe find a lover and start family in a little village or something un…" The ninja grunted and smiled to himself at the sheer patheticness he found in his own words. "Listen to me… I hardly sound like an S-rank super criminal un… more like a little teenage girl… I guess that's what being a refugee from your own time does to you un."

"Refugee? So who was that man Inuyasha battled a few minutes ago?"

"Oh that's Itachi un, but he'll be back. We have to keep moving before he strikes again."

The tiny demon sighed heavily, scratching his bald scalp.

"I hate to keep prying, but it is only for my concern… what do you intend on doing once you meet this Itachi person again? Do you intend to kill him?"

"That is something entirely dependent on the nature of our next meeting un… If somehow we can force him into a retreat or get him to give up without killing him then that option would be ideal un. However, Itachi is stubborn. The case may be that he won't give up before he's dead, and then we wouldn't have any option but to kill him." The shinobi took a minute to scratch at his nose, using the action for an excuse to pause his speaking and think for a moment. "As I've told Inuyasha before though… If at any time I feel like the feud with Itachi puts the people of this time in mortal danger, I will give myself up and leave this land in peace un…" He closed his eyes and made a face that was difficult to read, as if he was both happy and troubled. "It's a rather noble action as opposed to what I'm used to un, but I figure if I don't have to be unscrupulous, then why would I be un?"

"So you are saying that it is an option for you to return to your time, possibly fixing it?"

"Well if I did return it wouldn't be to welcome arms un… and who's to say it's broken? Maybe it was fate or something that brought me here. I'm starting to think this isn't a mistake un."

Deidara couldn't help but glancing up and for an instant he met eyes with the hanyou who had increased his pace to walk by his partner's side. He watched as Inuyasha's ears rotated curiously for a split second before he looked away just as Myoga followed the ninja's eyes. The flea seemed distraught for a moment, and when he looked back to Deidara, found that the youngest man had turned back to look ahead as well. The tiny demon glanced helplessly back and forth between the two others as if desperately wishing to have seen the silent relay that had passed between them.

"So do you have somewhere to be, bug?" Inuyasha sneered.

"Well I suppose I can leave, but with the news that you were traveling again with a stranger, I was wondering what you were going to do with the new moon tomorrow night."

Instantly he was scooped up again and crushed between Inuyasha's fingers, struggling to breathe.

"I think you'd better disappear, cause you just continue to piss me off," the hanyou growled. He pressed his fingers tight, Myoga squeaking for help.

Suddenly there came a loud crack like the sound of a coconut being thrown to the ground as Inuyasha's feet suddenly slipped out from underneath him. Deidara held a firm, low stance and frowned at the other man. The earth-type ninja had used the power of his chakras to shift the ground directly underneath his half-demon counterpart and cause him to come face-to-face with the dirt for perhaps the millionth time in his life.

"Boy, and I thought I was cruel un…" Reaching out the younger man sunk the teeth in his right hand into Inuyasha's thumb, prying the half demon's hand open and releasing Myoga from the stunned man's grasp. "You ought not to squish mister bug-man… you're like a million time's bigger than him un…"

The man eating dirt snarled, picking himself up and scrambling to follow his partner.

"Why does everyone do that! I mean, what the hell? He always sticks his huge beak into everything when he just needs to shut it!" he finally reached to Deidara's side again, tucking his hands angrily into his sleeves. "Why do I always get the blame for shit?"

With a grunt, the ninja replaced Myoga onto his shoulder to which he clung much more tightly.

"Well… think about it this way un… what if you were in his position and some guy the size of a mountain squashed you every time you annoyed him un? I'm sure you wouldn't like it very much, besides the fact that that you're very bold and a little hard-headed… you'd be getting squashed all the time un."

Receiving a look of disbelief from the hanyou to his right, Deidara folded his hands behind his head and chuckled quietly to himself.

"Well don't give me that look Inuyasha. All I've said is true, but to tell you the truth, your boldness and hard-headedness are some of your more attractive qualities un."

Inuyasha's lips curled and Myoga's pinched.


	10. Lessons in Love

Chapter 10

Lessons in Love

Further into the day, the threesome stopped once for a brisk lunch, the two normal sized men hunting down a rather brutish boar. The day wore on until the sun died and the skies were lit with stars. Deidara kept close to Inuyasha as they both ran through the brush, the moon too thin to light the night for his human eyes.

Long into the night they finally settled into a pocket along the mountains, graciously covered by trees and brush from oncoming enemies.

The ninja was gracious enough to use his abilities to start a small campfire in the mouth of the cave, just enough to shed a pale orange glow for about ten feet in all directions. Afterwards, the trio had sat around the tiny flame while Deidara went through a round a round of questions and accusations from Myoga who also insisted that the shinobi had demonic blood in his veins. Even the hanyou had to join the argument to finally convince the flea that blonde was human, or at least make him stop claiming otherwise.

"But the mouths… and your powers-"

"Look flea, it's late and if you're not gonna take what he says seriously, then get. He's got weapons like the demon slayers, but like inside him… wait- that's not right. Anyway, shut up before I crush you again." Inuyasha leaned back onto his palms, ignoring the scolding look on Dei's face. "In fact, I think it's time you left anyway. You saw me, you see that I'm fine, and don't' worry about me tomorrow. I can handle myself just fine, so get."

Giving a sigh, the tiny demon hopped onto Inuyasha's knee to give him a good, stern look before bowing humbly. "Hospitable as ever, master Inuyasha. It will be as you like, but don't think that you won't be seeing me again soon." With that Myoga turned to the shinobi and gave him an equally humble bow. "It was good to come into your acquaintance master Deidara… You appear to be… pleasant…" With that the flea demon leapt away and in a few nimble bounds, disappeared completely through the undergrowth.

"Thank god… I thought he'd never leave…" Inuyasha muttered, propping himself back up on his elbows and looking over to Deidara. The blonde man was hunched over, crossing his legs Indian style and resting his elbows on his thighs. There was a kind of profoundness to the younger man's face, as if he was deep in solving a conundrum in his brain.

"So what was that all about un? The thing about tomorrow I mean un."

"Nothing, it's just something I have to do. Listen, while we're talking about it… I have to go away tomorrow night."

"What un?"

"It's nothing. I just… I can't be around anyone. I have to do this thing alone, but I plan on you staying with Kaede for the night. It's not that I don't think you can't be alone or anything, I just don't know what Itachi's going to do. I'd rather you have someone to be with if something does happen."

The younger man's brow creased and resting his chin in his palm, he leaned in towards the other man as if to study his face more closely.

"And… you're not going to tell me what it is you need to do tomorrow… are you un?" It was strange, already Deidara was becoming more and more acutely sensitive to the subjects the half breed did not plan on discussing at all. Inuyasha had a strange way of folding his ears sideways and averting his eyes while he spoke that told the shinobi that he didn't want to continue the subject. "You know Inuyasha… You are the biggest mystery to me… how did you get so complex un?"

"Um… born that way? It's not easy being me. It's nothing, really. You don't need to worry. I just want you to say with the old bat… the whole night. I'll be back for you in the morning."

There was a long pause as Deidara looked down for a moment finding some composure before turning his gaze back up to meet Inuyasha's.

"You know… I can't remember the last time somebody said _'I'll be back for you in the morning'_ and it made me feel… glad un. It's usually the kind of sentiment that makes me feel sick to my stomach because I can only remember Itachi saying things like that to me…" He let a heavy breath heave from his chest as if letting the thought go entirely. "But I don't feel that way at all thinking about you un…"

"Well that's… good." Inuyasha leaned into the heat of fire letting the warmth fan over his face. "So… do you think Itachi will ever leave? I mean… he may be plain crazy but… I can't tell if he wants you back or wants you dead. Either way, I won't let him have you, but it's just something that's been buzzing in my head."

"I'd like to think that for the past two years I haven't been living at the mercy of a madman un…" came Deidara's whisper as if he was telling some deep dark secret to his companion. "But there is that quality of unpredictability about him… it is how he functions… why it is nobody has ever been able to defeat him before. The fact that we've been able to fend him of so far only makes me think he hasn't even been trying un…" Suddenly he shook his blonde tresses until his entire mop of hair swished around his head to clear his thoughts. "If it's all the same to you though… I really don't want to talk about Itachi right now un…"

The hanyou looked over to his comrade inquisitively.

"Alright… what do you want to talk about?"

His eyes flicking away for a moment, Deidara looked as if he was about to panic for perhaps a fraction of a second as he debated within himself what answer to give. After meeting some resolution, he swallowed hard at his dry throat and muttered quietly, trying desperately to keep his face from flushing.

"The other night un…"

Inuyasha's breath caught in his chest. He had that sinking feeling that would be the next topic they would have to discuss, and now that it had been engaged, he had to meet it.

"… what about it?"

"What… what are we going to do about it un? I told you we wouldn't talk about it, and earlier we did, kinda…. So I just want to know un… what do we do now? You said we were… friends and that you'd protect me… but I just wanted to know if you wanted… more."

The hanyou released his lungs in a great huff. In all honesty, he didn't know himself. There were certain things he wanted to think about; moving forward in his life and the possibility of having this man along with it, but his nature had blocked itself in the middle of his decisions, making any hope of advancing improbable. Even with the simplest connections of intimacy, his demon blood betrayed him and wouldn't allow an easy experience. He would always struggle against an inborn part of himself with any actions of love… he had learned that from Kikyo and Kagome alike. His first time with the older priestess had been wild and steamy, his instincts driving his actions, and with Kagome her presence after they declared their love drove his senses insane. This was no different, and he hated having to battle with himself while trying to be intimate, averting his attention to anyone he loved.

When Inuyasha grew silent, Deidara turned away, trying furiously to hide his disappointment and mask it as any other emotion. It was not an easy thing to do, however and still the lines of malcontent showed across his forehead.

"I'm sorry… I… I just wanted to know… but you don't need to tell me, I mean…" the young ninja swallowed, hating the way the words he was saying made him feel. "You don't… do you un?"

The older man's heart grew heavy, and the guilt started nibbling slowly at him. Deidara was all alone in this world, starved for love from malnourishment from a brutal lover, and Inu had the power to help him. And truth be told… he had grown fond of the man. Several years ago, before the time of Kagome, he would have casted him aside as another human, leaving him to his own problems. But he couldn't' deny himself the feeling he got when he was around the blonde man. It was a sense of… of hope. That even with the potential loss of his second love… there was a chance he could live again without being alone. So why wasn't he saying these things to Deidara? Why couldn't they be together, if only for this short while?

Inuyasha raised his head, looking across the fire with a look of clarity.

Why couldn't they? It wasn't as if he had ever fit into societies tight limits and mold. He was hated by strangers and unconditionally loved by his friends… so what was stopping him?

Himself.

"… I do, kid. I… I want to be with you. I want you… to want me."

Deidara's heart lurched into his throat and stuck there, making it impossible for him to reply or even breathe until he managed to swallow it back down. Gasping to refill his lungs, the younger man let out his breath, taking a very long time to do so as the action helped to quell the sudden panic inside of him. When he was completely composed, the blonde man looked up, his deep blue eyes flicking slightly as he studied Inuyasha's face, combing over every detail until he was positive there was no lie in his words. Just locking eyes with the hanyou made Deidara's heart rate spike and his vital organ beat against his sternum until he was sure it would be bruised. He couldn't help it. That look; he couldn't hold back. In one immediate movement, the ninja dove forward; his hands cupping either side of Inuyasha's jaw as he sealed his eyes shut and crashed their lips together. The action was powerful, nothing like the soft, uncertain kisses he had begun with the night before. This time, the movement was sure and forceful and passionate.

His hasty dive unbalanced the hanyou, sending the both of them back onto Inuyasha's back. But as the shock in his system dissolved to passion, he couldn't help himself but wrap his strong arms around the thinner man, pulling his body in tight to explore with his hands. His claws fought with the cloth that blocked his fingers from skin, but the pressure was transferred through, making Deidara cry into their connected lips.

Taking the noise as his warning, Inuyasha let up, using only his fingertips and open palms to rove the other man's spine, relaxing finally after he received a soft groan of approval. With quick movements, the young blonde worked his mouth against that of his partner, again something new and delightful to the hanyou. Deidara's lips moved rhythmically against the half demon's as if kissing him over and over again, each time dipping in to give the connection an avid pressure. Quiet sounds of contentment and joy came from the back of the ninja's throat as if wordlessly telling Inuyasha how very good the moment felt to him.

With the palms still pressed to his face, Inu grunted into their kiss and worked at removing them. As he pulled the hands away from his cheeks, a drip of saliva trailed from his cheekbones. He sighed irritably, but the shinobi only chuckled and relocated them to his throat, finding the action acceptable from last night.

The pair kissed intensely for a few more breaths until their hearts demanded a new tact. Carefully Inuyasha rolled them over the smooth, damp stone floor until the hanyou was on top, and in a hurried panic broke their kiss to untie the binds to his robes. As he did, Deidara happily followed, pulling his arms out of his cloak and letting it lie beneath them to absorb the damp. Looking up he caught the mutt's wild eyes, greeting him with more kisses as he hunched over the blonde's body. Not too timid with his exploration, Deidara's palm orifices tickled the other's ribs and abs, occasionally slipping in a nip and suckle along the way up and down his flanks.

The slick feeling of Deidara running his searing tongue across his partner's lips returned the way it had arrived the night before, but this time Inuyasha was prepared for the action. He parted his jaws and dipped his head much lower, inviting the younger man's tongue into his mouth while invading the opposite maw with his own. With an excited gasp, the shinobi clutched firmly at the hanyou's back, gripping at his sturdy shoulder blades and pulling him down closer until the only thing separating their chests was the thin layer of dark fabric which covered Deidara's upper half.

The air began to take on a very hot, humid feel as quiet sounds of pleasure came from both men while their tongues intertwined between their teeth. Sliding his hands underneath the scarlet and cream fabric of his partner's double-layered robe, the younger man's palms nibbled at the rippling alabaster skin of Inuyasha's back. Deidara jumped in surprise when he felt the hand of the half breed suddenly slide over his chest to contour the shinobi's body as the palm found its way to the younger man's flank, making him groan hotly past the hanyou's lips.

The dulled tips of his claws continued down until he reached the edges of his shirt, snagging them and slowly pulling it up between them. Inuyasha hesitated before he unlatched their kiss again, but made quick work of the garment, yanking it over Deidara's head and tossing it aside. His hand absentmindedly ran back down the shinobi's toned chest, rubbing over his perked nub and tearing a loud moan from his chest. Inuyasha looked to his hand and found the blonde's nipple under his finger and gingerly rubbed it again. As before, Deidara mewed at the touch, failing at covering up his arousal at the action. With a devious grin he continued to rub the nub until he felt bold, taking his warm tongue to it.

"Mmmmm! Oh that… oh it feels so good un!" The shinobi couldn't help himself; he had to let his voice free, he had to let the other man know what a wonderful job he was doing. As if following pre-written directions, Deidara's head rolled back and his hands took over. His right palm found the gentle curve of Inuyasha's skull, holding it closely so as to keep the other man's mouth on his one nipple while the other hand ran down the length of Inuyasha's right arm.

With the hanyou's right hand in his grasp, the shinobi gave the fingers a gentle tug, coaxing the limb to go where he told it. He pressed the elder's palm against his left pectoral so firmly that he could feel the ninja's heart throbbing in his chest. Slowly, letting out a few more shrill moans as Inuyasha's lips closed around his nipple and gave it a sensual suck, the blonde man guided that palm across his chest, curling the other man's fingers until it was almost as if his claws were sinking into the ninja's toned muscle.

Deidara suddenly whined and his torso jerked, but at the same time Inuyasha felt ice shoot through his own veins. He could feel his fingers dip completely inside of the younger man's chest, they were hot and wet and he could feel bone and muscle on all sides.

His head shot up and he tried to retract his hand, thinking he had stabbed the younger man fatally with his claws, but found them locked in place by… teeth. All at once he remembered the two other sets of mouths he had been explained to before and the day before with the splotch on his shirt. Thinking hard… this wasn't that surprising. Suddenly he felt the large organ wrap around his digits, coating them thoroughly in slobber. He smirked at the chest mouth, but a needy tug on the back of his head redirected his attention, and he returned to the other half of the shinobi's chest, devouring his sensitive nipple.

His head was rolling from side to side and his back arching up off of the groaned and panted, squeezing his eyes shut and opening his moth wide in pleasure. His head was spinning from this simple, erotic gesture, of course it had been years since his body had been touched in this way; with the intent of pleasing him. Such a long rain of abuse had left Deidara not being able to remember the pleasure of the slightest caress; instead his body could only remember the feeling of being used. This was, though not entirely new, wonderful in every way. The hot feeling of Inuyasha's tongue and lips across his nipple, coupled with the hanyou's fingers exploring inside of his bizarre fourth mouth was like the strangest and most heated pleasure he had received in years. It made him want to hold onto Inuyasha and never let him go.

"Ah!" Deidara gasped as his tender bud was pinched between the mutt's teeth and rolled sensually. "Oh yes un! Mmmm Inu-y-yasha! Like that un! Oh like that!"

The hanyou's mouth toiled at his partner's nipple, and as he did he tried to occupy his mind from his heated bulge growing, not wanting to dive so quickly into the second part of their course. It amazed him, the feeling of the inside of the shinobi's fourth mouth, how hot and strong the jaw was. He had slid his free hand to meet Deidara's, and even that mouth had begun orally stimulating his skin. Each one worked not in tandem, but as if they were that of separate occupants, making the whole experience pleasantly odd. That and the frantic wails from the blonde didn't help him suppress his growing desires.

Gasping and moaning, the younger man arched his back until his spine trembled as if he pressed hard enough, he might merge skins with Inuyasha. His chest shivered and his flanks heaved as his breaths came in odd intervals, ragged, confused and desperate for air. The ninja hadn't even noticed that underneath his partner, he had already moved his legs to either side of the man on top such that Inuyasha crouched in between his thighs. Deidara could only pray in his mind that the half demon would not notice the arousal that heated his own loins, making his baggy pants much less baggy.

As he pressed on, Inuyasha's jaw became bored with the action of seducing a nub of flesh, and he returned to the heated muscle inside the blonde's true mouth, moaning into the kiss. He dipped his tongue inside the moist maw, wrestling back his fight with the other. As he occupied his mind with the kissing dance the younger man had taught him, something slide against the back of legs, and he had to look back. Deidara had wrapped his legs around until his ankles touched, bringing them to enclose around his own legs. Before he could ponder the action, Deidara forced his head back into their make-out, pulling hard on the back of his neck.

The tightening below the ninja's stomach only worsened as with his mouth now occupied by the younger man's jaw, Inuyasha returned to toying with his partner's pert but with his clawed fingers. The raw nipple felt as if it was inflamed by every touch from the hanyou's rough digits, but at the same time, the erogenous area begged for the contact. Deidara could only moan into the other man's mouth and tangle his fingers into the long silver tresses, tugging them sensually to inform Inuyasha that he loved the beautifully hot kissing and touching and teasing. The hanyou whined like a needy child when his partner broke the kiss for a few gasping breaths of air.

"I-Inuyasha un…" Deidara murmured in a husky voice. "I… I _do_ want you un."

The hanyou couldn't help but let his mouth curl to a smile, loving the way the words rang in his ears.

"Kid… what, what do you want me to do?" He dipped his head to the side of Deidara's head, attacking this neck with husky growls and nips to the scorched flesh.

"MMmm take me, Inu un."

The kisses stopped as both men processed what the younger man had just asked. Making out and rubbing against each other was one thing…

Inuyasha leaned away to kneel straight up, looking down to his comrade embarrassedly cringing below him. The silver-hairs' face searched over the counterparts', knowing he hadn't been mistaken. He could sense his want, his need for the next phase in this romantic dance, and it was finally Inuyasha's time to decide their fate. After this, there was no taking it back. He took a large breath in, and closed his eyes, letting the storm in his mind calm until he could see the clear waters in his heart.

"… Ok, kid. Tel me what you need."

As the cool air of the night covered his heated skin, the younger man whimpered, the sound begging for the closeness of their skins to return. His flushed chest shook with shallow breaths, and his jaw trembled, trying desperately to keep from making horribly needy noises. Deidara shivered against the slight chill, his breathing hitching as he saw the way Inuyasha's eyes studied his body with firm concentration.

"I… I want to… Mmmm… do I have to say it un?" The younger man shuddered, feeling embarrassment heating up his skin. "I… I want you t-to mmmmm to mmmmake me yours un…"

Inuyasha's throat hardened and tightened until he thought he'd pass out. His ignorance of love was showing as he ran his eyes up and down his partner's lean body, trying to guess what physical action he could possibly mean. He understood mating with a woman, but there was nothing on a man's body he could… well he could, but there was no possible way that was… _pleasurable_.

"Deidara… I… I can't, I don't know…. how to. I don't know… god Kid, I'm dumb."

Beneath him, the younger man flushed a deep shade of pink and gulped hard; he hadn't even thought of the possibility that Inuyasha wouldn't know how to have sex with a man. He had naturally assumed that it was something people simply learned in their curious teenage years before deciding their preferences. He thought through things slowly, coming up with a way that would learn Inuyasha the ways in pleasing a man while not killing himself with embarrassment.

"F-first… undress me un…"

Clenching his teeth, Inuyasha nodded and placed his hands on the shinobi's narrow waist. His moist fingers covered in the largest mouth's saliva slipped down Deidara's sides until they touched fabric, simply curling to hook into it. Keeping his eyes glued to his partner's neck, Inu slide his hands down, waiting until Deidara lifted his waist from the ground and quickly slithered his pants from beneath him. He brought the material to the shinobi's knees, seeing that there was another article of clothing he would have to tangle with.

There was an anxious shifting for a moment, and Inuyasha was surprised when Deidara sat up. Bending his knees and drawing his feet in, the ninja pulled the white socks off of his shins over his sandals, placing the thin garments on the ground to his left where they would be out of the way. Gripping the zipper in the back of his right shoe, the blonde man glanced up to make sure that Inuyasha was not becoming too anxious while this undressing ritual took place. The half demon only looked on with a kind of fascination as the first sandal was discarded, but all the while he kept his eyes averted from the artist's covered groin. When finally Deidara's feet were both bare, he lay back on his cloak again, his arms sprawling up besides his head and he gave a short nod to his partner, silently instructing him to continue.

Swallowing all his anxious nerves, he repeated his action, taking the soft waist of Deidara's boxers in his fingertips and slowly pulling them down over his warm flesh. This time Inuyasha couldn't help but shut his eyes, not so much horrified by the sight of another man's genitals, but fear of the fact that he would lose himself again and rush the moment before he was truly ready. As he touched the back of the ninja's knees he released the fabric, taking a deep gulp of air before letting his eyes open again.

The sight before him stole his arrested breath, leaving him to almost collapse on top of the young man. With his taught, lean body sprawled out on top of his black cloak with this look in his bright eyes that begged for him, Inuyasha could feel his mouth salivating to the point of no control.

_Delicious_.

On the other hand, Deidara did turn away, shutting his eyes and making quiet sounds of discomfort. Lifting his knees and wriggling slightly, the ninja managed to cause the remaining garments to slip lower on his calves, but couldn't get the elastic to slide further without flailing. Inuyasha leaned his head slightly, grunting stubbornly as the impression he received was of the ninja blocking his view. Finally with a gulp of air, Deidara grabbed the hems of his own pants and boxer shorts, pulling both articled down until he had wrangled them off of his ankles. Hastily discarding the last of his clothing, he allowed his limbs to fall to rest again, again leaving his body splayed before the hanyou.

He could feel the silver-haired man's eyes burning on his skin, but one place most in particular. With an embarrassed whine, Deidara rolled his head to look away.

"D-don't just stare at it un…"

With a smirk Inuyasha leaned to Deidara and captured his chin, bringing it back to center. Their eyes locked again until their lips were reunited. Inuyasha brought his warm body to drape over Deidara's, keeping the cold breeze out by his own clothes partially hanging off of him. With the kiss successfully easing the blonde's nerves, Inuyasha leaned to his right side, bringing his body to lay sideways next to the others. He stole kisses as his hand maneuvered over the well-defined abs and down to his pelvic bone, causing a stir between their lips from Deidara's yelp. The pointed nails dragged along his ticklish skin, making him shiver and squirm under Inuyasha's hand.

The movements stirred the ninja's, the soft, tantalizing touches causing his heated groin to jump with excitement. His hands flew and dove into the half demon's sliver mane, tangling in the tresses like holding two fists full of moonlight. His hips trembled as the rough palm passed over his pelvis, dangerously close to his anxious crotch. The kiss suddenly became much more desperate as Deidara let slide a shrill moan before tearing his lips and tongue away from the other man.

"Ah! Y-you too un! T-take off your clothes un… I! I don't want to b-be the only one n-naked un…"

Through the demon blood's intellect, Inuyasha smiled and gave a quick bite to the younger man's throat, making him quiver some more.

"Mmm I… want you to. Please, I love your h-hands," the hanyou purred, moaning into the moist, tender flesh. Pulling his body off, Inuyasha sat up but still loomed over Deidara's bare body. He waited patiently until the blonde leaned up to meet him. With his lips nestled against this joint of his neck and shoulder Inuyasha purred at the tips of his nails running under his robes. Deidara's knuckles snagged the heavy cloth and brushed it off of the elder's broad shoulders until they fell back onto the ground behind them.

Leaning his head so that his cheek rubbed gently against Inuyasha's crown, the shinobi gave a contented sigh as the hanyou showered his sensitive neck with tender, but urgent kisses. In a groping gesture, Deidara petted his palms in a wandering trail down the other man's back, the soft, wet lips on his palms leaving little damp spots wherever there was a pause. In this manner, the ninja's strange, wonderful hands snaked their way down Inuyasha's spine until they found the familiar territory of the blood-red hakama. Like the softest of butterfly-kisses, the younger man's fingertips danced around the hems of the cloth until they had made their way to the front of the garment.

With a few, quick tugs, again the scarlet obi fell away, making the rest of the mutt's pants become loose and begin to slip. Before the garment had the opportunity to fall off by accident, Deidara slid his hands back around to fit into the warm small of the hanyou's back. The palms hesitated for not much more that a brief beat before they slowly began the downward journey again. The blonde could feel the man just above him stiffen as his fingers managed to creep underneath the loose, red fabric, pushing the cloth away as they moved cautiously to cup Inuyasha's rear and give the warm muscle a sensual squeeze.

Inuyasha hummed into his embrace, gently gnawing his shoulder as the strange touch of his ass shocked through his body, making his throbbing cock beg more for attention. As his hakama finally fell away, the air hit it like the cold side of a blade, making his spine bend over severely to a point he was pushing all his weight into Deidara. He adjusted to the new temperature, and when he was better the hanyou sat back to see his partner's face. Deidara's face was over flushed, his cheeks burning to the smoldering desire made the mutt whine with anticipation. With guiding hands, Inu sat back on his bare rear, letting his soon to be lover dispose of his pants to leave him all natural along with the blonde.

The younger man sat back across from Inuyasha with his knees bent and his legs open. He gave the half demon a smoldering look of soft desire, as if he would be content to share the warmth of their bodies pressed together. Inuyasha tried his best not to look down, not to let his eyes wander towards the other man's groin. The very thought made Inuyasha gulp strongly, knowing that it was fully intended for their _'privates'_ to no longer be private to each other.

"We're undressed kid… what next?" The half breed's voice came in just barely above a husky whisper as his palm found Deidara's kneecap to hold. With a stiff groan in the back of his throat, the younger man closed his eyes and bit his lip, unable to help fantasizing about the answer to the nearly innocent question.

"N-next un…" lowering his eyes, the ninja took a few breaths to calm himself before continuing. "Next… let me suck on your fingers un…"

"My fingers? You like that?"

"Well, it's because you're going to…. Oh man un. You need to … st-stretch me out."

Inuyasha's face failed him, a clear ignorance plastered across it.

"Just let me work un, I'll show you in a minute."

Deidara hastily snatched Inuyasha's right hand, bringing them to their original placement, and again the large mouth inhabiting his left pectoral opened wide to beckon his digits in.

The enormous tongue within the shinobi's chest curled easily around all four of the other man's fingers. The burning, dripping muscle wound around each digit in turn, licking over them until every one of Inuyasha's flanges was hot and soaking wet. It would be a lie to say that at the same time, neither man enjoyed the action; there was simply something very erogenous about it, even if the half demon couldn't understand what it meant yet. With a low groan, however, Deidara had to stop himself, pulling the other man's hand away from his chest reluctantly. Inuyasha looked a little stupidly at his slimy fingers and debated whether or not he should wipe them off before continuing.

"Mmmm… okay… now what kid?"

Deidara took in a very sharp breath, the images getting more and more vivid as the action came closer and closer to transpiring.

"Now un… you need to stretch me…" When the hanyou's expression still didn't change, his partner groaned loudly as in frustration, not wanting to say his desires explicitly. The blonde man closed his eyes and leaned backwards until again he was lying on his back, taking the same time to spread his legs out before his future mate. With a soft whine, the ninja's left hand trembled slightly as it moved tentatively down his own body. Inuyasha watched the hand until it got too low for his immediate comfort, at which point, he looked away only peering at the other man from the corner of his eye. The elder man was completely surprised when the hand went past Deidara's manhood, taking a momentary pause against his alabaster inner thigh before moving still lower… still inward. Finally the artist's hand stopped, in a place that made Inuyasha's heart freeze with shock. The shinobi closed his eyes and moaned lustfully as his fingers touched and rubbed gently against his anus.

"… Here un…"

There was a moment of silence as the men waited for something to happen, both scared to take the next step. Inuyasha held tight to Deidara's knees, debated how far he was willing to go for his man, and the shinobi desperately waiting for the hanyou to make some sort of move. Taking another step into the freezing cold water, Inuyasha raised his hand and ventured it to Deidara's, the young man letting him replace his fingers against his tight entrance. He simply held it against, shocked at the feeling of the ring clenching and pulsing against his fingertip. Suddenly Deidara grabbed his hand and pushed, the tip of his claw slipping past the ring into the unknown tunnel. He tried to retract his hand in fears that the claw would damage such a private and fragile part of his body, but although he heard a loud cry blurt from the blonde, it was not only of pain, but of a strange pleasure.

"P-please" came Deidara's voice in a begging whisper as if it would tear his voice to speak any louder "Inuyasha… put your fingers in un… one at a time… M-mmmmake me feel g-good un." The younger man bit his lip until it was raw, arching his neck as his brow furrowed with distress. He could feel the dangerously sharp claws just barely inside of him and he knew it would be a gamble on Inuyasha's ability to not cut him to ribbons. But he trusted the other man… he trusted the half demon not to hurt him, he had said so himself.

Truly lost to the action, the hanyou skittishly pressed his finger in, letting the hole consume his finger until he found the tight ring squeeze around his knuckle. He flexed his finger inside his partner, making Deidara cry out and clench his ass around his hand. Slowly he withdrew his finger, somehow pleasing the other, so he settled on repeating the action, sliding in and out of his rectum while occasionally curling his finger.

The younger man's head fell back and he gritted his teeth if only to keep the sounds of pleasure from escaping his throat; the attempt failed. Tilting his head back, Deidara shuddered and slammed his eyes shut, his hips wriggling slightly as he fought to keep himself from forcing his partner to go faster than he was ready for. The blonde whined strained his neck upwards, finally unable to take it anymore and simply let himself moan.

"Mmmm! OH! HA! Aaaah Inuyasha! S-ssso good un! Mmmm! M-mmmm m-more uuuuun… o-one more… P-Please un!" He couldn't stand to hear himself making such desperate noises, the sound of his voice, the things that came from his throat… it made him feel so dirty. Deidara bit his own lip to keep his mouth shut, only making the soft flesh between his teeth drip blood down the corner of his mouth.

Inuyasha slowed his finger, thinking his actions over. From this angle it was difficult to see what he was doing, and as he finally pulled his digit out, Deidara screamed, making the hanyou jump. He inspected his finger and found a drip of blood, making him cringe.

"Oh go I'm sorry kid- I wasn't trying to-"

"It… it's ah ok un, just wow….mmmm shit, be more careful, ok?" Deidara rubbed his injured anus, looking away from Inuyasha.

The hanyou curled his fingers into a fist, looking over the lower half of his partner shifting slightly without any physical attention. He took a chance and pushed Deidara's hips to the side, coxing him to roll over. The blonde hesitated at first, not liking the idea of not facing his lover their first time, but he had to be understanding and compliant to help draw Inuyasha from his shell. Slowly his torso rotated until he was on his knees and palms, craning his neck backward to make sure he didn't miss anything.

As expected, Inuyasha had full view and access to Dei's ass, making it easier to work with. Hurriedly he slipped his pointer finger in, drawing out another lusty moan before maneuvering his middle. Carefully watching his claw, he tipped it to glide in, scraping his nail along his own finger. With both fingers in place, he returned to his taught lesson, pumping his fingers together into his narrow channel while listening closely to every sound the escaped past his lips.

With his bloody lip back between his teeth, the ninja fought back louder, more shrill sounds of pleasure as he could feel the new finger beginning to loosen his tight muscle. He grunted loudly through his mouthful of lip and squeezed his eyes shut once again, lowering his heavy head. With the action out of his sight, it took the younger man's imagination no time at all to begin forming the idea of the fingers being replaced by something else of the hanyou's.

"Mmmmf MMMMmmf! Aaaammm! Hnnn!" The image ran like wildfire through the ninja's mind and before he could stop himself, his hips rocked backwards onto the intrusive digits. Immediately Deidara howled, a sound that was mostly pain but still pleasure at the same time. His hasty action had caused Inuyasha's razor-sharp claws to cut into him deep inside, and though the new, internal wound seared with pain, there was a kind of erotic feeling to hurting so far within.

Knowing he had reinjured Deidara, he took back his fingers and placed his other hand on the round of the shinobi's ass, making him cringe under the cool palm.

"Kid, I don't think I should do this, I keep cutting you… What do you want me to do?"

With his head hung, the blonde let his chest heave a few times before trying to answer.

"Uhhh... Hmmm… I-Inuyasha… j-just a little bit more… y-you have to make it loose enough to fit un… or it will hur-hurt a lot more…" Slowly the shinobi lowered himself to his elbows so that he could hold his head in place while he craned it to look at the man behind him. His eyes were soft and pleading. "Please… th-that time was my fault anyway un… I let myself get uh… _ahead_ of myself… I... I'll hold still this time un… I promise…" Deidara let his head turn back towards the ground and took a few deep breaths in preparation. "I'm sorry for making you do this Inuyasha… it's probably not the idea you get when you think of… of intimacy un… but I promise you… I will make you feel so… so good un… just… put the third in un…"

To prove himself, Deidara reached back to grasped Inuyasha's shaking hand, placing it onto his hip to hold in place and returning his vision to straight ahead. The silver-hair sighed and removed the hand, only to slide it across the squeeze next this hole, pulling his cheek away to reveal his trembling entrance. Looking at his fingers, Inuyasha pursed his lips and added his own spit to the digits, finding all of the moisture having been sucked inside Deidara. He pushed in his first finger, and then his second. Deidara's body curled and ebbed; reclaiming the feeling he so loved back before calming himself. If he really wanted this, he'd have to use all his strength not to ruin it and scare Inuyasha off. One more wrong move or another knick and Inuyasha would flee in fear of hurting his lover. When the blonde's body held firm apart from his heaving chest, Inuyasha spread his ass wider, poking in his ring finger until it was fully sheathed inside.

His head drooping again, Deidara let out a long ragged breath, taking his moment to adjust to the new ach of an added digit. Once he felt comfortable enough to allow the hanyou to move his fingers and still trust himself not to move in reaction, the shinobi nodded his head and gave a dry groan as his command. Much more cautiously this time, Inuyasha began to slide his digits out before pushing them back inside of the younger man's pulsing rear. The muscles squeezed anxiously at the intruding fingers, the feeling of the slow thrusting making Deidara dizzy with want for the full connection. Still he remained rigid, refusing to allow himself so much as a hair's breadth of movement for the fear that even an eager twitch would spoil all he had worked to coax out of his partner.

"Mmmm…. Ah… Inuyasha, you have no idea h-how good this feels un… I… Mmmm! … Ohhh… I… I love the way you make me feel un…"

With the rhythm of his thrusts established, the mutt pondered the mechanics of his play, wondering what could possibly be enjoyable from having something shoved up you rectum. But the moans and pants emitting from the young ninja were pure and uncensored, and he couldn't argue with it. He adjusted his knees and by doing so turned his wrist. Dei's head shot up and he gasped, scrapping his nails along the hard damp rock and shuddering from his high. Inuyasha smirked and repeated the action, turning his wrist back and forth while still thrusting his fingers in as far as the cavity would allow.

"AAAAH, Oh Kami ABOVE, that's good! Ooooooooh Inu- oh Inuyasha! N-now t-try pulling them… Mmmm pull them apart and open me up un! Ahhhh that's good. Uh!"

Not even bothering to question the command at this point, the half demon did as he was told, separating his fingers and spreading the ninja's wet anus until none of his fingers touched by a long shot. Still the elder man had to be careful with his strength, he could tell that though the blonde's talk was brash, if he wasn't cautious, the simple act of spreading his digits could shred the soft flesh like wet paper. There came no sounds of protest as Inuyasha began to move his fingers in an odd pattern; folding them together, sliding them inside his mate, twisting his wrist the way that made Deidara scream in bliss and spreading them as he withdrew them, then repeating. There was no time at all between the establishment of this new rhythm and when the ninja lost all coherence in the words he was saying.

"Aaaah! AAAAAaaaah! Uuuuun Mmmmm! Ohhh MMMm! Haaahhhh!" Every intake of air was a ragged gasp and every exhale, a sultry moan, and on the side of the bomber Inuyasha couldn't see, the blonde's erection bobbed away at the fullest extent of hardness.

Not alone in the fact, Inuyasha had to blink an eye from the sweat pouring form his forehead. His cock was burning base to tip and he finally gave into its demands and grabbed his rod hard, jerking his shaft mercilessly until his head wept. He couldn't' help but moan along with Deidara, but his soft grunts were drowned by the outcries filling the cave's air.

"Mmmmm, Dei, you're so beautiful… are you sure this feels good?"

"S-ssssssssss-sssssoooo g-gooo… s-so good un!" The blonde bit his bottom lip and whined in a rather desperate manner, the sound almost resonant of a supplication as still he resisted the urge to rock his hips back and meet the hanyou's fingers in thrusting. His thighs were trembling and his rear twitched spastically around the elder man's digits, his rectum feeling as if it was sucking at the fingers, dragging them as deeply inward as they would go.

"Ooooh! Ohhh Inuyasha!" Deidara moaned, tossing his head back and arching his spine inwards, "S-st uh… Sttt-stop it un! Ohhh Huuuhhhh Oh gods un! P-please un! I… I want y-you un!"

At once Deidara pulled his hand back and bit into Inuyasha's wrist, barring him from wonderfully torturing his ass further. Slowly Inuyasha unsheathed his fingers, letting the goo drip for his claw tips. His other hand still occupied his hard member, quietly stroking it until he felt soft fingertips run from his hip to meet his hand.

"Inu… I want you, please, I can't wait un."

"What? You mean… Just stick it in? Are you sure?"

"Oh for the- j-just do it! Inuyasha, I need you…" the younger man's hips swayed slightly, tantalizing the hanyou's staring eyes.

"…alright, kid. Hold still." Inuyasha with heavy breath sat himself up, kneeling behind his partner. His hands came gently around the blonde's hips, bringing them up to meet his pulsing groin. With his fingers wrapped tight around his erection, he shakily sited his head against Deidara's hole, but he hesitated.

"… Deidara, are… are you sure you want this?"

"Oh, _please_! Gods please _yes_ I want it un!" Without the threat of being gauged by the half demon's talons, the ninja jutted his rear backwards, gasping quickly and groaning as the action caused the hot, drooling head of the mutt's member to grind against his rectum. "Mmmmaaahhh… right… right here Inuyasha un… S-stuff me… I want to feel you so, so much un." The pink, pulsing bud of Deidara's rectum twitched against the tender tip as if begging to be entered.

Unable to resist, he let a bit of his animal instinct slip through as he grabbed Dei's hips firmly and mounted him, pressing his full length mercilessly inside him until his hairs were smashed between them. He closed his eyes tight as a scream ripped through the blonde's lungs and his breaths were instantly shallow and loud, stabbing fear in the half-breed's heart at the thought of actually breaking his lover.

His lover. That was going to be hard to get used to… but he was willing to try.

"Dei, are you- tell me, should I move or are you gonna die? Should I get out? Does it hurt? Come on kid, say something."

Gasping and trying to swallow if only to get moisture into his raw throat, the young artist quivered all over, as if all of his muscles were working against each other. His head had fallen immediately to rest against his wrists with his hands clasped like he was in a position of prayer. After a few more shuddering gasps, he finally tried grappling with words, struggling to form a comprehensible statement.

"Annnn… uh… a little m-more sssssslowly n-next time uh un…" _Next time_. That was a thought, wasn't it? Deidara gulped and lost himself to the idea for a moment, imagining how pleasant life might be with Inuyasha in it for as long as possible. If he'd had the capacity to, the little thought would have made the ninja smile. "J-just hold it for a s-second un… just… God-damn un… I had… nnnn… I don't remember you being t-this big un…"

The older man bit his lip at the intense pressure encompassing his cock, the nin slowly getting use to the size of his girth. He couldn't stand simply waiting, so in an attempt to sooth his partner he leaned his body over to put his face at the base of Deidara's spine, gently pressing his lips into the protruding bone. Deidara shivered under his hands, but he scattered pecks and smooches lovingly along his spine and the small of his back, relieved that the strain on his cock was ebbing.

There wasn't any lie the younger man could tell himself that would make him believe that there was anything unpleasant about the soft, affectionate kisses. He found himself humming low in his throat, like a contented purr as slowly the tingling from the half breed's lips all over his back began to overpower the pain of being overstretched. After a few minutes that passed remarkably quickly, Deidara again craned his neck to look at the man behind him, giving him a soft smile of approval.

"I think I'm okay un…" the younger man murmured almost a whisper, "just don't go ape on me… okay un?"

"Ok…. Hey, what's ape?"

"… Shut up and fuck me un."

Inuyasha couldn't help but smile, bringing his hips up at attention to begin his motions once more. He leaned over his lover's body and leaned his hips back, pulling out his whole length until his head was the only occupant of the channel. He pumped his hips slowly at first, waiting each time for the clamping from Deidara's walls to ease before he increased his speed.

Every time the silver-haired man above him moved, the ninja would take in a sharp breath through gritted teeth, only to let the air out of his lungs in a long sigh of relief once comfort was again found. Gradually the gasps became fewer and the sighs grew heavier as with the elder man's slow, even tempo, Deidara began to loosen up much more. Again the blonde's forehead came to be pressed into his wrists, the sounds of comfort turning into pleasure. The curve of his back bowed as he raised his butt up only slightly for a higher angle, pulling a low, sultry groan straight from the ninja's diaphragm. Gulping, he suddenly parted his jaws, finding that his lungs were screaming for want of air, and filled the space beneath his own belly with hot pants and grunts of increasing desire as very gradually, his lover's pace increased.

During the next few minutes Inuyasha continued shoving himself into his new lover, taking in the echoing sound of their flesh slapping together and the stifled moans escaping from Deidara. All the while Inuyasha was simply enjoying the feel of being inside another, feeling a sense of right with the world. But to his disgust, he could feel a dark shadow stirring itself alive in the back of his mind.

_Isn't he wonderful… makes you want to sink your teeth in and eat him up? Come on, Inu, don't fight it. He's yours now… do what you want. Do what we want. A little blood, that's all, just enough. Blood and sex are the greatest pairing, doncha think?_ The hanyou growled internally and swept the thought away, warding it off until he and his new mate could reach their release and move on to safer territory.

Something suddenly caught the half demon's sensitive hearing, the sound of a backbeat to the collision of their skins at almost double the pace. Without ceasing the movements of his hips, Inuyasha closed his eyes and swiveled his animal ears forward, searching for that sound and where it was coming from. Before he could tell where the little slapping sound was origination, it was completely swallowed up by a new string of erotic moaning from the beautiful blonde underneath him. Deidara had moved one of his arms so that he was supported by only one elbow in the front, his head resting to the side as well. Inuyasha's eyes slowly followed the unoccupied arm, finding the artist's hand tucked firmly between his own legs and undulating rapidly.

The mutt could only bite his lip and suppress a low groan of his own, knowing that on the other side of his body, Deidara was busy tending to his own cock. Like there had been some cue to break Inuyasha out of his trance, the younger man's hips suddenly bucked backwards taking in the hanyou's member with one very quick jerk as if coaxing him to move even faster.

So the pace was again increases, with the power if Inuyasha's drive pushing both bodies with each hump. The hanyou had pondered f he should do something about the blonde's frantic need to propel his own member, but he gave in, knowing he was lucky to keep his work now and didn't want to jinx it by overloading his workload. Deidara was more powerful and experienced in this act and seemed content with just the presence of the mutt inside him.

"Uuuuuh Dei- Oh man I can't…. ahhhh! I can't keep going, I'm gonna…. Mmmm kid…" the silver hair had to hunch over his man, keeping his tiring hips pumping quickly. From a slip in his previously careful action, his fingers suddenly dug into the meat of Deidara's cheeks, causing a fiery reaction. Deidara's head shot up and the insides of his ass clenched tight around Inuyasha's blazing erection, flouting the hanyou's strength and making break.

Shivering and moaning at the top of his lungs, the ninja rocked his hips backwards while his rectum still squeezed tightly at his partner's erupting cock. The hot fluids that squirted from the end of Inuyasha's member filled every ridge and every twist it reached within the younger man. The rush of his mate's burning semen being emptied into his deepest orifice made Deidara only cry in sudden, erotic ecstasy. With his jaws parted and nothing but throaty sounds of pleasure issuing forth, the blonde man removed his own final support, letting his upper half rest on his shoulders, cheek and clavicle while he wildly jerked his own member with both hands.

He couldn't think anything but the sensation of being filled and being so close to his moment of climax. He couldn't feel anything but the overpowering pleasure that filled his every vein with sparks. He couldn't hear anything but the blissful sounds of their lovemaking. He couldn't taste anything but Inuyasha on his tongue. He couldn't see anything but white-hot ecstasy. He couldn't say anything… he could only scream, scream, scream putting a sound to his amazing release.

With his bangs cemented against his forehead, Inuyasha wiped away and streak of sweat down his cheek, careful to keep his waist still with his member still lodged inside his lover, but he couldn't help loving the jiggling of the blonde's rear against his groin. But he let the pleasure slide as his awareness of the source recaptured his attention. Even though Deidara seemed pleased with Inu riding him, sharing in a passionate process, the elder could see it wasn't enough to get him off. Even with his own immediate needs met, something inside drove Inuyasha to shame, knowing he wasn't contributing his share of their lovemaking. So in a blind attempt, in one swoop he pulled Deidara off his shoulder to lay against Inuyasha's chest, and without a word switched out the shinobi's hand for his own, stroking the stiff shaft tenderly with a still firm grasp.

Having been pulled back onto his haunches such that his back was pressed against his lover's torso, the younger man gave a quiet whine while their hands were exchanged. He couldn't possibly deny how good it felt to have the other man's palm on him; there was something about another man's grip that simply enhanced the experience. Deidara's hips quivered and jerked upwards quickly as he thrust uncontrollably into the hanyou's hand, making a needy, desperate sound. His head leaned back until it rested against his partner's sturdy shoulder, and the ninja dared to crack his eyelids open to look up at the other man. There was a look of concentration and devotion on his face, as if having been gotten to his own climax, he owed his lover the same.

"Uhhhhh… mmmmm… I-Inuyash-sha un…" Deidara groaned, trying to keep his voice low and prevent himself from simply screaming again. "Mmmm… y-you don't ha-have to do that un… I… I can handle it…"

A clawed finger crawled across his chest to meet his abused nipple, relighting its nerves once more. Deidara bit his lip and gnawed at the raw cut.

"Kid… sh-shut up… and let me fuck you." Inuyasha smiled shyly as a rumble of a laugh rolled form his partner's chest, bleeding into his lusty moans and squeaks of delight. He diligently ran his hand over the blonde's erection, thinking less of the actual action and more of its meaning. He could be good and he could please his lover. He wasn't some sick, consuming animal. He could do this.

Deidara's head tilted back in pleasure, breathing hot, heavy moans against the edge of the half demon's jaw. With passionate affection, the ninja nuzzled his mate's mandible and kissed the soft, creamy skin. Where in the fast, powerful intimacy of their bonded connection, the younger man had felt as if his heart was on fire, now in this one-sided act of equal love-sharing, his heart was melting. The sounds from Deidara's throat were soft and airy, unlike the desperate moans and wails that had torn from his lungs previously, but still the noises bore all of the bliss that Inuyasha wanted to hear.

"Mmmmmm… Inu… Inuyasha un… Ohhh that's so… mmm… so perfect… y-yes un… oh yes Inuyasha… Oh… Ah… Hmmmm… Oh Inuyasha yes uuun…"

The hanyou could still feel his limp organ inside the tight rectum, but he ignored it, continuing to stroke off the other cock in his hand. With moist kissed to his jaw line, he could only smile until Deidara returned to moaning his name.

"Come on, kid… get off, Dei, please- I want you to feel good. Get off for me, Deidara," he hissed into the shinobi's ear, praying it would finally tip his scale and release his lover into his climax.

The blonde man whined and rocked his hips upward still causing himself to bounce over Inuyasha's slack member. Not being able to care less whether his movements aroused his spent lover, the young shinobi's mind was too clouded by his own pleasure. Burying his face in the hanyou's neck, Deidara moaned into his mate's damp skin, filling the other man's throat with the sounds of his husky voice. The feeling of Inuyasha's hand rapidly beating over drooling erection was driving him wild and pulling still more and still louder sounds form the ninja's lungs. His hips trembled, his thighs tightened and he dug his nose into Inuyasha's soft jugular crying in ecstasy as finally the clasp inside him, holding back his release finally sprung free.

Milking the spurting member, the elder squeezed out as much juice from his partner as was comfortable, only letting go once the artist had sagged into his arms. Slowly Inuyasha leaned the frail body down onto his palms, easing himself out and collapsing onto the hard, cold ground. Inuyasha rolled over to face the shinobi on his hands and knees, and without a word Deidara buckled and fell onto the other warm body, knocking themselves roughly together.

The nightlife outside filled the air of the cave, playing along with the beat of both of their ragged breaths as they laid themselves into each other's arms. With some situating and snatched clothes, they were both curled into each other on top of the dusty Akatsuki cloak and under the half-breeds robes.

As slowly their heaving lungs returned to the natural lull or relaxed breathing, Deidara curled into and nuzzled his lover's supportive body. The blonde made a quiet humming sound of clear contentment, feeling the gentleness of Inuyasha's loving embrace and enjoying his closeness and warmth. Feeling the threat of tiredness in the man below him, the ninja prodded the hanyou's collarbone with the end of his nose to get his attention before he nodded off.

"Inuyasha un… I… really liked this un…" Deidara closed his eyes and placed a soft kiss on the hanyou's clavicle. "I have to ask though… will you still feel this same way about me in the morning un?"

The mutts' chest rose in fell with his deep breaths, bobbing his new mate along as he mulled over his thought. The answer in his head was a screaming yes, but with something skulking around in the corner of his mind he couldn't help but cringe. He wanted someone so bad, having tasted the sweet flavor of passion now thrice in his life, and now was time to settle and hang tight to his one. But with his other half always lingering around, waiting to interject with a razor kiss and ruin his life and the life of who he loved.

"… I don't… I will not regret this in the morning, Dei. I… I do care about you."

There was a sharp prodding in the back of Deidara's mind that demanded that he continue asking the questions that plagued his mind. The back of the ninja's mind wanted to know what decision the other man had with regards to his pursuit of Kagome, weather he still held deep feelings for the woman. All the same, there was a kind of taboo about asking such a thing, so the younger man shoved the thought away, deciding to allow the question to come up at a less personal time. Perhaps when the both of them were sharing secrets and asking each other what they would like to know about one another.

He must have spaced out because the careful caress of Inuyasha's razor sharp claw tickling the exposed shell of his ear broke him out of his deep thoughts. Deciding to exclude all further questions from the conversation, Deidara blinked up at his mate, raising his brow as if to ask him what he wanted but quickly realized it was his own turn to speak.

"Yeah un… I don't think I could ever regret this un…" Suddenly the blonde man looked down and smiled, laughing a little bit just to himself. "Actually… that's not entirely true un… I'm already starting to regret it a little bit…" glancing up at Inuyasha to see his sudden shocked reaction, but he wouldn't lead the half demon long. "Yeah… my ass is going to be so sore tomorrow morning un… you gave me such a stretching un… I wouldn't be surprised if I wasn't able to sit for at least three days un."

A bashful chuckle made Deidara's leaning body tremble on top, and Inuyasha's hand weaved its way into the golden mop of hair, tussling it playfully before dragging his fingers out cautiously, making their way across his jaw to chin. The dong demon's eyes wandered over the bomber's face, appreciating his soft features after such strain.

"So you'll be here in the morning un?"

"Of course Dei… I wouldn't dream of leaving you."'

And with that, with the creatures of the evening serving as the world's lullaby, Inuyasha listened to his lover's heartbeat grow calm and his breath drawn out until he was sure the blonde couldn't be conscious.

_What am I going to do_, Inuyasha cringed. _Can I really keep him at my side without letting anything harm him? Sure, I can always protect him until my dying breath…. Wow, that's new. But… it's right. I know I can. I really do care about him. But… can I save him, from…. Dammit Inuyasha… what are you going to do?_


	11. Without a Scratch

Chapter 11

Without a Scratch

Hours later, the warmth of the rising sun's slanted rays tickled the half breed's animal ears making them twitch. As hard as he tried to stay unconscious, Inuyasha's eyelids were forced open by a prying shaft of sunshine. Taking in a deep breath and letting out a heavy, jaw-parting yawn, the hanyou stretched his arms over his head until they trembled arching his back only to find that his body was still weighed down by another. Arching his neck to look down at the man still slumbering on his chest, Inuyasha couldn't help but give a weak smile before his lips parted in a second yawn. Idly as he let himself wake up, the mutt stroked his fingers through the other man's spun-gold tresses, letting the long, silken hair slide between his claws.

"Deeeei… hey kid, wake up….Mmmm come on kid." He rustled his partner's head softly, cocking his own to inspect the muscles slightly twitching over the ninja's face. "Come on, kid, I seriously gotta go….mmmmmm get up, you're heavy…"

"Nnnna… mmm…" the ninja groaned, still as asleep as he could be without being a vegetable. "Not now 'Tachi-kun… 's too early… we c'n sleep in un…" Deidara nuzzled the half demon's chest dreamily, making a sound like a rumbling purr before going totally limp again, never once having roused from his sleep.

A new fear shot its way and wrapped around the hanyou's one fuzzy heart. The thought of the hated enemy as any type of rival for the blonde's love… and even the thought of Deidara still considering the abusive bastard…

"Get up kid. Dei, it's morning, we got to get up." The mutt was more forceful this time, pressing on his partner's head to almost push him off. Hopefully awake the young man would realize his surroundings and forget his dream, or with any luck forget his nightmare.

"Nnnn sssssleep in, Tachi-kun, n I'll give you head in a minute. I'm…. uuuh I'm tirud…"

With reality slapping him in the face, Inuyasha rolled the other man from him, taking his hakama and quickly stepped into it, re-belting his obi as he paced furiously.

Groaning as he was suddenly dumped on the floor, Deidara rolled his head over to the side and gave a sound of distress and pain. Slowly his body followed until he way laying on his stomach on the cold, slightly damp cave floor, producing another aggravated hiss from between his teeth. Propping his front half up on his elbows, the ninja mashed the heel of his left hand into his tired eye to wipe away the sleep and hopefully give him a clearer vision of the morning. When finally he did raise his head and look away, he caught sight of Inuyasha and smiled at once, relaxing as the sudden feeling of urgency all but drained from him.

"Well good morning beautiful un. Did you sleep well?"

Inuyasha ignored him, taking up to cracking his knuckles.

"So… you planning on sticking around this time un? I don't mind getting breakfast this time, and maybe when I get back-"

"Are you going to come back? Cause it sure didn't sound like you wanted to be around here," Inuyasha spat.

The shinobi's eyes blinked absentmindedly a few times.

"Did… did I miss something, hmm? Because last time I checked we were together last night, and I told you I liked it. What's up with you un?"

"Just by the sound of it, it sounded like you were ready to be back in Itachi's arms, so sorry if I'm a bit confused!"

"Look, dude, you're crazy un," Deidara retorted, raising himself up onto his palms and giving the hanyou a look of exhausted annoyance. "How is it physically possible… no… how could it even be _fathomable_ that while I told you that there were no regrets you somehow took it as '_this was fun but I want to go back to Itachi now_' un? Are you out of your mind un?"

The silver-hair stopped and turned back to the other man, unexpectedly taking a knee in front of him and leaning in so close that Deidara wouldn't escape his words.

"… Every morning that you've talked in you sleep, you've always called me Itachi. Yesterday… I really didn't think of it, since we weren't there yet, but just now. Deidara, this is the second time you've called me Itachi. So if you hate him so much, why are you dreaming so much about him?" With that he rose with disgust, taking back to pacing near the mouth of the cave, appearing to consider leaving.

Deidara hung his head as if in total defeat, staring awestruck at the ground while his mind scrambled for the right words, anything to make the hanyou stay. He fisted his hands in his hair and pressed his forehead into the cold rock below, wishing that maybe if he ground his face hard enough into the stone it might undo time and take the whole morning back.

"Inuyasha… I can't ask you not to be angry or upset… but please, will you stay and let me try to explain un? I… god I can't let it all go like this un."

"What's there to explain? You aren't thinking about me… whatever. I'm leaving. I told you I'd stay, but… I can't do this. This 'loving someone who doesn't love you' thing… I've been through that already." He remembered back to his pursuit of his lost love after her death, finding only to be filled with vengeance and rage, and then nothing at all. "If you have weird feelings for him, then fine… just don't' ask me to…. To fix you. If I can't even fix myself…"

"It's not like that un!" Deidara finally lifted his head and shouted, the fear of his only companion, his… lover… walking out making him frustrated and angry. "It's all Itachi's damn fault to begin with! If you leave now, it will only get worse un!" Shuddering, the ninja pinned Inuyasha in a stare full of hurt and anger, a look that the half demon had never expected to see from the other man. "It's been going on for years! The abuse, the torture… look at me close enough and you can still see the scars… A little over a year ago I started having these dreams… these beautiful, wonderful dreams un, and in them, Itachi wasn't a monster. When I went to sleep, suddenly the world was nice, I didn't have to kill people, everything was at peace and Itachi was something that he could never be… he was _good_, and _kind_! This… this alternate reality my brain somehow started making was just enough to upset the… the brutal reality un… and… and I'm sorry if it isn't suddenly fixed when I find a lover who is _good_, and _kind_ in real life un!"

That managed to stop the hanyou's heavy footsteps, but still in his torrent he could only lean against the cave wall, looking out into the open forest.

"I… I won't compete, kid… How can I compete with a dream?" Internally, Inuyasha was thinking about the young man's life, the years of abuse and how that could warp his mind. But for how long would he have to hold his hand and be by his side before he could love him? It was clear there was still a part of him that cared about the idea of Itachi, and what had the hanyou done? Only given up all he knew, all he was familiar and comfortable with to please this man. Turned his back on the woman who had been there and cared wither whole heart about him, even when he mistreated her… and he had just swept that to the side for a man that couldn't give his full heart to him.

"And I suppose you don't dream of Kagome then, hm?"

"… I don't dream. Not for a long time."

Deidara tensed up and bit his lip, greatly considering the clear dream Inuyasha had been whimpering about while he was unconscious as a weapon against the scathing remark… but that would only make them both angrier. He shook his head and swallowed the retort that wanted to come up from his throat, completely unable to call Inuyasha out and bite him back. Rolling slightly so that he could crouch instead of lying on his belly, the ninja perched himself on the balls of his feet, avoiding putting his weight on his still sore rear.

"I'm… I'm not going to argue with you Inuyasha… I can't… it won't get us anywhere or make anything right… it will only make things worse if we fight… it's just… you if anyone, you should know what it's like for the thought of losing someone to make you feel sick inside un..." The blonde man looked over his shoulder slightly but kept his body at a profile to Inuyasha's, giving the other man a stare full of an entirely different emotion: pitiful longing. "I… I don't want us to end like this un…"

"… And I don't want us to end. I think… I need time to think about stuff. I always mess stuff up if I don't think about things. We should get moving back to Kaede's, you spend the night with her, and maybe… maybe some time alone will fix things." Inuyasha looked back and sighed at the heartbroken tears collecting in his lover's eyes. "No, I'm not leaving you. I won't stop protecting you just because things are complicated. I just don't want to mess this all up because I've got a hot head, ok?"

Shaking his head as such to clear his mucked up thoughts, the younger man trembled for a moment before rising to his feet. Deidara wiped his forearm across his eyes to stay off the water and recreate his firm bravado if for no other reason than to show Inuyasha his stiff upper lip. He tried and failed miserably to laugh, making it appear more as if he was mocking his own expense as the ninja gathered up his clothing, piled up from the night before. There was a kind of awkward moment as Deidara filled the time in which he processed the other man's words with the simple, busy action of redressing himself.

"You know…" Deidara looked up briefly from picking up his netted dark grey shirt from the ground, "I really hope that one day you and I will be able to look back at now and laugh un…"

Inuyasha didn't respond, still watching outside their hideout until the sounds of the other dressing ceased. He felt something hit the back of his head, and the elder pulled his robe off over his head and threaded his arms through. Finally he was joined at the mouth of the grotto and he stepped out into the grass, leading them through the trees.

The day wore on in a thick silence, interrupted by their late brunch of the local game and a quick clean up in a pond. Through the thick of the trees, Inuyasha lead with a manageable pace with Deidara keeping a few feet behind. Every once in a while the shinobi wished to advance and talk, but the stoic, concentrative look warded him off. A few hours after, the beaten dirt of the road came into view, and the walk was given over to a flight, putting Dei into the responsibility of getting them to their destination. The whole ride was awkward, with the blonde's skill he was able to converse and interact with his partner without needing to cling to his sculpture, but Inu opted to use his nails as a brace, digging deep into the clay of their steed.

Nearly two hours had passed, containing only very brief exchanges of grudging and jaded words between the pair. All the silent passing of time made Deidara more and more desperate to drum up some sort of conversation with the other man if for nothing else, then for his own sanity and entertainment.

"So… think you'll ever tell me what's so special about the new moon un?" The young blonde was laying on his side, leaning his cheek against his palm, looking miserably bored as he tried to dig up whatever dialogue he could pry out of the other man.

"If I can help it, no. It's not something I'm proud about." Inuyasha had leaned back onto his hands by the base of the birds' tail.

"What… are you and addict or something un?"

"… not really, but sure. It's not something I can control, but I deal with it. I'm of no use to anyone during the new moon, so it's best if I'm off somewhere else."

Looking at the other man and nodding slowly as if he didn't understand but he was going to pretend like he did, Deidara made a quiet hum of agreement. There was more awkward quiet while the ninja mulled over the new information in an attempt to make heads or tails of it. Suddenly his bright, blue eyes widened and he crawled across the top of the clay creature on his elbows and belly approaching Inuyasha and spurring a confused look from the hanyou.

"Are… are you a werewolf un?" He hissed as if it was some enormous secret.

"… What the hell is that? A wolf demon? Hell no, I'm dog, remember… I fucking hate wolfs, mangy mongrels that drool and stink."

"No, it's… never mind un."

"Stop guessing, kid. If I wanted you to know, I'd tell you, now drop it!"

Taken aback, the shinobi flinched and backed away; he hadn't expected Inuyasha to snap at him like that and quite frankly, it hurt. He wasn't trying to pry, he didn't mind allowing Inuyasha his privacy however much he needed, the younger man had only wanted to break the painfully awkward silence between them.

"I'm sorry un… can we talk about something else then? Anything you want un."

Inuyasha sighed, leaning back until the raptors' tail rose to meet his back. He smiled at Deidara sympathetically.

"Alright… tell me more about you. What… what do you want me to know about you?"

"Like what… a life story un?"

"Whatever you want to tell me."

Taking in a deep breath, Deidara nodded to the other man and grunted quietly, wordlessly telling him he could agree to that.

"All right well… I guess I had a regularly normal childhood… well for a child in my time un… I studied how to be a ninja like dad for seven years from when I was five to when I turned twelve un… I guess I made a lot of stupid mistakes back then though… mostly having stolen that damn cursed scroll un… Maybe that was just the first in a long line of mistakes… it seems like that's all I've been able to do since my twelfth birthday is fuck everything up un…" It appeared as if he was about to leave it at that, including so many other things along with the list of mistakes, including things more recent. "But you know what's weird? I've found myself messing up a lot less since I met you un… I mean I'm still making some bad decisions like that fight with your brother and stuff… but… I'm making some good ones now too… like… well… you know all about the good decisions I've made… you were there after all un…"

"That sounds like a familiar story," the hanyou nodded. "Aren't we just a pair of failures? It is funny though."

"What's that un?'

"How tow failures get together and make everything better. The world's has a weird way of working… ah well. So did you have a brother or something?"

"No un… I was the only child my parents were able to have… I mean… well after I was born there was a complication… I never got the full story… but my mother wasn't able to have children after that un." Deidara hunched his shoulders and bowed his head, thinking about his own past wasn't his favorite thing to do, but at the very least he was glad Inuyasha was interested in his history. "My father wanted another son very badly, he wanted a prodigy to learn all of his advanced explosive fire jutsus and carry on his legacy un… So when my mother couldn't conceive again, I got blamed for it a lot un… But to answer your question; no… no brothers or sisters un."

"I can feel the whole 'prodigal son' thing, Dad's suck, right? That's why I don't think I'll be one."

"You never thought about being a father un?"

Inuyasha placed his hands behind his head and sealed his eyes shut.

"Not really. I mean when I was thinking of a life with Kagome, I figured she might talk to me about it eventually, but I hadn't really thought hard about it. I'm pretty messed up, and I'm afraid I'd mess the kid up, growing up with an old man like me."

With a smirk, the ninja snorted as an odd form of laughter, not quite mocking but still finding humor in the fact that Inuyasha considered himself to be old by any standards.

"You are not old un… I mean sure you would be really old by human standards, but you're not human… not entirely anyway un… No, you're not old, you're in the spring of youth and wise far beyond your years un… you just don't really give yourself credit where credit is due un." Deidara paused for a second, looking down and pinching a tiny bit of clay from his sculpture between his two index fingers. "And for the record… I don't think you'd make a bad father un… if you ever did have a kid, they'd look up to you so much, and if you are as kind with little ones as you have been with me, then there would be no problems un."

"Feh, then you don't know me that well. You're nice, but I'm a freak." Inu sat up and looked over the edge of their ride, watching clouds trickle by as the wings sliced into them. "I wouldn't want to mess up a kid with a freak of a father… not human, not demon. Trust me, living with it sucks, so I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I had to run for my life cause I couldn't protect myself, and now that I can, people are afraid of me. I mean sure, I've got great friends… but… never mind, I'm not going to whine to you. I already told you my sob story, and it's over and done with."

His brow furrowing, Deidara tilted his head to the side slightly as if he couldn't understand exactly what Inuyasha was talking about. Finally he shook his head, indicating that either he disagreed or simply couldn't make sense of the things his partner told him.

"I know you well enough, and anyone would be lucky to have you as a friend, let alone a father un. And besides, you may be a freak, but what's the matter with that? There are a lot worse things you could be un… you could be a monster… but you're not, and that's the beauty of it un."

"Ok, now I know we're not talking about me. Dei, when Itachi attacked me- my mind, it took over. This… rotted, nasty part of me took over, and I can't do anything about it! I can't control my body, and it's like… watching yourself run around and do these horrible things… But as long as I have Tetsusaiga, I'm fine. And if that wasn't bad enough-" but he suddenly cut himself off, blushing horribly and turning away before he let his other little secret out.

"But what un?"

"Nothing, just nothing- forget it."

"Oh... well you're not like that all the time un… I mean not to throw numbers around or anything but like… ninety-nine percent of the time, you're you, and you are a wonderful person, whether you believe it or not un. Sure, that other one percent of the time you might be a bloodthirsty demon, but in a way, everyone has their own inner demons, so you're really not as alone as you think un." The blonde leaned back on his side and sighed again looking at his companion with a look that begged to know what was going on inside of the hanyou's head.

"Yeah but regular people's demons don't kill random people… and innocent people. Other people have weird fears like fish or trees and stuff… but I'm sure they can keep control of themselves. Even if I'm not like that all the time… it doesn't make it better when I… come out of it, and everyone hate me and thinks I'm a monster… they are right. Spending my whole life doing good doesn't make up for a second of evil I've done."

"Well I suppose the only advice I can give you, is that if people can't see you for the good you do, then why do you care what they think in the first place un?" The younger man scratched behind his ear and glanced away as if to avoid the possibility of again locking eyes with Inuyasha. "At least you have done a lot of good in your long life un… in the twenty one years I've been alive, nine of them have been filled with senseless violence, needless killing… brutal murders… massacres… genocide… there was not a single good thing I did for the world between the day I graduated the ninja academe and the day I set foot in this time un… not a damn thing…"

Deidara looked down off the edge of the clay falcon as if contemplating how much more beautiful the world would be if he simply leapt off and rid the earth of another hardened criminal. "There are people who are a lot worse than you un, but you know something… I still try to make the most of life when those rare opportunities to make a bond with someone arise un… I'm a good person who does bad things un… but who I really am is not defined by the things I've done… and they shouldn't define who you are either un…"

The mutt couldn't help but peek on Deidara, seeing his own worries ignite the blonde's worries. Inuyasha huffed as he sat up, catching his attention from the scene below.

"Well, here's what I see… you may have done bad things in your time… but now you're here, and it's like a fresh start for you. You told me that in your group you had to do bad shit so that they didn't kill you, so I kinda think it doesn't count. I say you shouldn't even think about all that past stuff. You're here now, and you can be as good as you want. I can deal with the world not particularly liking me; I've done it so far. But you're a good person, and you've got a great life ahead of you, so don't worry about all this stuff, ok?" The hanyou did manage to snag his partner's eyes and hold them in a gentle stare. "Please?"

Grunting and closing his eyes for a moment to stay off any reaction to the soft look Inuyasha was giving him, the blonde nodded. He turned his chin down so he could look at the empty space in between them rather than at the man himself.

"I suppose it _is_ a new beginning for me… but as long as you're around, I'll be just fine un." The ninja tried once to glance up at his partner but when their eyes locked again, his face grew hot and he had to avert his eyes once again.

Inuyasha's heart pumped hard in his chest, catching the stream of the younger man's scent bowing into his direction into his sinuses. He waited for several minutes, analyzing his scent until the shinobi's body demanded he reposition. Deidara swung his leg over and straddled the bird's neck, letting his feet dangle freely on either side. Clawing the clay mount, Inuyasha quietly crawled up to just behind his lover, and with great stealth wrapped his arms around Deidara's waist until they fully encompassed him. The ninja jumped for a moment, but with Inuyasha's face peeking out over his shoulder he couldn't help be chuckle shyly.

"Hey," they younger man cooed, the proximity of the two reducing the volume he needed to use to be heard over the wind rushing past. "I… I know you have a lot to think about un… I mean… I know it's a big decision you're going to be mulling over tonight… and I just wanted to ask you to really… and I mean _really_ really consider me un…" The ninja gave his comrade a gentle smile and rested the ridge of his brow against Inuyasha's at an angle looking him in the eyes.

"You don't have to worry about that." The elder man nuzzled Deidara, bringing his nose to poke at the blonde's neck, shielding his face from the wind. With a simple touch the butterflies between them burst into their animated clouds, that playground love sparked if only until they reached the old miko's village and separated for the night.

All around the sky above was painted with a marvelous gradient from soft peach to deep violet as Deidara stood by the doorway to Kaede's hut. Inuyasha was just on his way out, but the other man refused to let him disappear for the night without at the very least saying 'good bye'. The shinobi squeezed one of his partner's hands in both of his own as if reluctant to allow him to leave.

"Are you _sure_ you're going to be alright alone tonight un? I mean I doubt another attack from Itachi so soon after the last, but still… you're sure you'll be okay un?"

The dog demon sighed heavily, but ran a hand over Deidara's head, tipping his chin before retracting his hand.

"I've been alive almost 90 years and most of it was spent alone, I think I'll be ok. Do me a favor and don't leave. I don't think he'll come looking here. I'll be back for you in the morning."

"Don't worry about me, I'm not going anywhere un." He lowered his eyes for a moment, finding that more and more he was hating the idea of Inuyasha leaving, even if he would return in the morning. "Are you sure there's nothing I can say that would make you stay here un?"

"I'll be back before you know it, kid. Just drink tea with the old hag and sleep in, and I'll be there when you wake up. Now head inside and get some dinner. Smells almost done."

"Can you stay to eat with us hm?"

"Nah, I can feed myself. Go inside now, Dei," Inuyasha spoke softly. Before either could process the motion, Inu had dipped forward and planted a soft peck just below the golden hairline, signaling it as he farewell before he ventured out into the twilight.

The younger man stood on the priestess's stoop, at a total loss for words as he watched Inuyasha leaving; it made his heart sink. His brow furrowed and he couldn't help himself but cup his hands around his mouth and call after the other man before he vanished into the forest.

"Be careful Inuyasha un!" The hanyou turned to look over his shoulder and waved one hand in the air in a friendly farewell.

"Don't worry kid, I'll be back before you know it, not a scratch on me." And with that, the elder man disappeared into the thickness of the wild woods.

Inuyasha took off as soon as he lost sight of the glow form the village, plunging into the forest to find a cozy spot he could hide out for the night. Already he could feel the effects of the vanished moon working against his body. Raising his hand to brush away a limb, he spotted his claws fading into human nails, and with his clenched jaw his teeth were losing their natural length. He stumbled through the brush as his night vision was spent, and he eventually came crashing down into a lump of roots. Inu hit his cheek hard, a sliver of blood already collecting to drip to his chin.

"Shit! Ssss," he hissed, bringing his nimble finger to press against the cut. Well so much for no scratches on him. As he picked himself up, the hanyou hoped with his returned strength in the morning that the cut would heal over.

As time drug on, the hanyou lost track of time and ultimately collapsed at the remains of a fallen oak, leaning himself back to rest. As if he was unconvinced by his aching feet and haggard breath, he grabbed a strand of his hair and brought it close to his eyes, the light almost too dim to see. The hair was jet black, having lost all of their brilliant white hues, and he grumbled.

"… This sucks. Fucking new moon…. Come on sun… get up already." Interrupting his rant, the man's abdomen screeched at him, carving a dull pain through his torso. He hadn't had the chance to catch anything, too worried of putting distance between him and his new lover and fearing the thought of camping in the open. In this state he knew he could be easily picked off by a large group of lesser demons or one upper level. Or Itachi for that matter.

Back in the safety of Kaede's homey cottage, the priestess and her two guests all sat around the central fire pit and shared a pot of thick noodle soup. Myoga had rejoined the two men at the elderly miko's house having predicted that Inuyasha would return there before leaving for that night. He had been able to steal a few words with the half demon in private, but the vast majority of the hanyou's time before he left was spent by Deidara's side.

Now the remaining three slurped on Kaede's deliciously prepared supper and made idle conversation, waiting for tiredness to set in and for bedtime to be declared.

"So this Itachi man is powerful in your time? But does his attack in which we saw him use last drain his energy, or can he summon this 'Tsukuyomi' attack at random?" the flea demon said through his slurps of broth.

"No, it takes a lot of chakra for him to perform it, and it's only drawn from his left eye un. It is a difficult jutsu to perform, but I've only seen Inuyasha break out of it. With Itachi, he's normally faced with one opponent, and watching him I'm assuming he's too focused on the jutsu to defend. We'll have to see the next time we run into him un."

"I see. So you do intend to fight this man again? Will he leave if defeated?"

"I wouldn't guess so un. It's not the way he works I guess… Still I'd prefer not to kill him if at all possible, but it will be whatever Inuyasha and I can work out best in the scenario. I guess we don't have a real formal plan un… just worst comes to worst… yeah, we'll have to kill him un…" As in to avoid discussing Itachi any longer, Deidara lifted a large bundle of noodles to his mouth and slowly began to slurp them, taking as much time as he could to down the food. Of course as soon as he had swallowed, Myoga's questions persisted.

"So I have seen you getting… close to Master Inuyasha, and I believe I have misinterpreted you actions towards him." The flea moved to find a higher perch, settling for a nearby box of herbs the old woman had forgotten earlier that day. "You see, in this time you're actions could be considered, and I hope you are not offended, but seen as… flirtatious. Surely I am mistaken, but trying to raise the subject with Master Inuyasha is near impossible."

Pursing his lips and furrowing his brow, Deidara gave the tiny demon an indignant snort, contemplating simply going back to eating without dignifying him with a response. His pride having gotten the better of him, the blonde man decided to set Myoga straight now and deal with Inuyasha about it later.

"Yeah, and what's so wrong with that un?" Raising another few strings of noodles to his lips, the ninja blew the steam from them before adding a quick "I like him in such a way un," before again filling his mouth.

"What is wrong with that, Master Deidara, is that it is ill-advised to partake in such a… distasteful display. Maybe in a few decades you could conduct yourself in such an abnormal manner but-"

"Now wait a minute un, I-" Deidara began to retaliate, but before either male could speak, the old woman rose her hand and stopped the fight in its tracks.

"Enough! Myoga, I would advise you treat my guest with the respect he deserves or I will ask you to leave. There is no need to talk like that to such a man that has lived through what I have heard." The tiny demon grumbled and folded his four arms, but did grow silent with a heavy glare from Kaede's one good eye. "Now, Deidara-sama, although I do not agree in the manner in which he is addressing this issue, I must tell you that what he says is in fact correct."

His azure eyes constricted, having thought the female to be on his side.

"Now, my friend, it is a sad thing that the world is such a closed-minded place. In our lands, we have traditions that most humans hold near and dear, living in a world of uncertainty and fear that they will not see the next day. Change has always been a struggle, even reaching back further in time. Now I have lived fairly long, and not many things surprise me anymore. Your love towards your own kind, I'll admit I haven't commonly seen, but love is a thing not often obtained and is to be treasured and protected wherever you find it."

"That may be all well and good, my good lady, but living between the world of humans and demons isn't the easiest thing, you know," Myoga piped up. "Master Inuyasha has had to struggle his whole life, fighting off both kinds that wish to see him dead. But now that he has become his strongest with his father's sword at his side, he can pass through places with little opposition. He mostly keeps to himself, and with the good he is doing for humans, is starting to get a good reputation. But you see, with something like this setting him off from the rest, I believe that it will tarnish his reputation to a point that he will be targeted once more for being so different. First and foremost, I serve Master Inu no Tashio's wishes and will protect Master Inuyasha how I can, and that is to keep his good name safe."

"So having relations with Inuyasha would be detrimental to his good name un? Shouldn't his name be defined by the deeds that he does and not who he shares his love with un?" Deidara narrowed his eyes at the little demon, his mouth twisting to the side and his nose scrunching in distaste. "Boy, talk about closed-minded un. Why don't you let _Inuyasha_ decide who he wants to be with un?" With a grunt of irritation, the blonde set aside his bowl of soup, laying his chopsticks across the top and pressing the palms of his hands into his knees in an assertive stance. "I say, as long as he is happy, what does it matter who he wants to make love with un?"

"In a perfect world, Deidara-sama, that would be enough. But in a situation as Inuyasha is forced into, it is to his own discretion how he presents himself to the world. I do agree that such an image will not be greeted with open arms and smiles, but I say if he is willing to handle that burden, it is his choice." With her opinion spoken, the old woman folded her hands together, her eyes drooping with fatigue.

The flea however was long from letting the argument rest.

"Inu no Tashio wanted what was best for his sons, and with Lord Sesshōmaru's pedigree, he is respected by demons and avoided by humans. Unfortunately, Master Inuyasha does not get that luxury. So if you think imposing this lifestyle on him won't make his life any harder, you are insane."

Deidara ground every tooth in his body, a habit he had taken to many years ago to burn off his hot temper, though it rarely did more than give him a moment to plot his next attack.

"First off, I'm not _imposing_ any lifestyle on him, we both expressed a mutual desire for each other's companionship and shared happiness, passion and lust _reciprocally_… I never have forced any deviation on him, if he loves me, then it is by his choice un, not my doing… And secondly, please let me see if I have you entirely understood un. You tell me that you would much prefer that Inuyasha chose the opinions of total strangers over the prospect of eternal companionship un? How do you think _he_ would react to your take on our romance un?" The ninja leaned forward, narrowing his eyes until he had the tiny flee trapped in his glare and his nose was nearly touching that of Myoga. "Do you _really_ think he would see this conversation as your attempt at protecting his reputation, or would he see you going behind his back to try and chase off his mate of whom you disapprove un?"

"You aren't understanding me. It is not my opinion of you that I am expressing… it is his father's. I am a man of very small stature, as you can see, but before the great lord met his demise, he entrusted me to look out for his youngest son so that he could survive in a world, in a society, that would cast him aside to the demons, who would in turn eat him alive. Now that he is able to stand up against opposing demonic forces with help from his father, it is now time for him to learn how to survive in society, whether that is in the light as a hero or in the shadows as an unknown. But with such a thing, an act discouraged by our culture simply holds him back and in fact puts him into danger. If you truly love him, then you might consider the world he lives in and the possible, if not probable chance that by being this open will put him into harm's way. Now to my understanding, and correct me if I'm wrong, but do lovers intentionally put their loved ones in harm's way?"

"Of course they don't," Deidara grunted, leaning back and separating himself from the glaring contest he'd been having with the miniscule demon if only to relieve himself from going cross-eyed staring at the bug. "But you know what lovers _do_? They try to make it work un. Are you saying that the risk is so great that a love between he and I isn't worth endeavoring un? Are you saying that the pros are so outweighed by the cons that it would simply be more beneficial to us to not pursue a happy future together un?"

The ninja shook his blonde mop of hair solemnly, bowing his head and humming disapprovingly in his throat. "I say that there is no such distinction un. There is no risk too great that justifies a potential romance to be snuffed out before it is given a chance to thrive un. What do you know of me, Myoga-san? Only that I am a stranger and that I am a male… you know nothing of what I am… what I could be for Inuyasha un. Have you ever thought, that perhaps one day I save his life, where would your logic be then un? Perhaps one day… he and I are a family… with an adopted child between us… could you really, _honestly_ believe that the risk outweighs that future un? Could you take that option away from Inuyasha in good conscious un?"

"Alright… but what if Itachi kills him? Or what some other comes and kills him for his relationship with you? Would it be worth it then?"

"If we're playing 'what if' then what if Itachi or someone else kills _me_ for having relations with _him_? Is Inuyasha then to blame for having entered into the eternal contract only for it to go sour with early death un? It is an unjust lie to say that in sharing myself with Inuyasha that I am not at risk as well, even more so than any regular man because of my foreign status and my less-than-human appearance un. Of course if Inuyasha died by any fault of mine, where perhaps I could have done differently and spared him, then I would never forgive myself un…"

Deidara suddenly looked up, locking Myoga in a strong, determined stare as if preparing for a physical altercation to arise. "But if we are discussing reality, then I can assure you that I will _not_ let anything of the sort happen to Inuyasha while there is still breath in my body un!"

Across the room a satisfied smile creased Kaede's worn face, the affirmed words reassuring her confidence in his intentions. But still the tiny demon was unsatisfied; not believing his logic was being opposed by such a young human.

"Who are you to place yourself beside Master Inuyasha?"

"I love him un."

"No! I mean how are you to talk as if you have any idea how his life is! As if you could possibly understand what burdens being part demon can be placed on his shoulders. Why do you think he is gone this night! Do you think he wants to lose his powers for a whole night?"

Suddenly the room became frozen, the statement sending all of them into alert.

"What… w-what are you talking about un," Deidara stumbled as he crawled to hover directly in Myoga's teeny face.

"Did he not tell you? During the new moon Master Inuyasha loses his demon powers and is forced to be human. Now for someone like you, it's no big deal, but to a man that has relied on his god given gifts to defend himself and has them stolen away is a nightmare. He is powerless to save himself, let alone others. That is why he seeks seclusion."

Something inside the young ninja's mind snapped and he suddenly snatched the flea up in his powerful grasp and leapt to his feet, bringing Myoga so close to his face that he nearly couldn't see the demon.

"Why the fuck didn't you tell me that before un?" he shouted, shaking the poor little bug in his fist. "Do you know who the hell is after him un? Do you realize the DANGER he's in right now out there ALONE even WITH demonic powers un? Itachi _WILL_ kill him!" Furiously, Deidara hurled the insect yokai with blatant disregard for injuring the little demon. "You're a damned stupid old coward un! I'm going to go find Inuyasha un!" With that, the ninja's cloak was over his shoulders and he was throwing the cloth screen out of Kaede's doorway.

Before the bug hit the floor, Kaede showed she still had a bit of pep still in her, holding her hand out to catch the frantic thing. She gently placed him on her shoulder before rising to follow. Deidara was almost out of sight when she called to him.

"Wait, Deidara-sama, we shall follow!"

"No time un," he cast over his shoulder as he plunged into the night. Somewhere out in the thick of it a glimmer of chakra activity caught him, and digging his toes in the shinobi flew to meet it.

Moving swifter that the wind itself, the shinobi flew through the forest on skill and intuition. Though his vision was failing in the near pitch blackness of the moonless night, he somehow managed to find the high-road through the woods. Leaping through the trees with more skill than the beasts that make their homes in the canopy, his eyes combed the forest floor in search of the hiding half demon. The blackness of the ninja's coat made him almost completely invisible against the dark background of the night behind him.

Following what trail he could detect through the thick underbrush, he followed the tiny signs of a passerby hopefully to find Inuyasha before anyone else could reach him. Suddenly, his eyes caught a tiny blob or red lying amongst the gnarled remains of a fallen tree and he froze on his perch above. Squinting his eyes, he could just make out the shape of a man wearing robes identical to Inuyasha's; the main difference was that this man lacked all of the imposing, animalistic qualities. He was utterly human. Breathing a sigh of relief that he'd made it to the other man before something else could get to him, the ninja dropped to the forest floor just before the moon-afflicted hanyou.

Instantly the newly turned human shrunk back, his instincts driving him to scramble behind the fallen log. He hoped and prayed it to have been a lesser demon with the brain the size of a pea and hopefully by holding his breath he'd avoid detection. But as footsteps neared him, he cursed and looked around him, grabbing the hilt of his worn sword. Even without the power of its demon form he could at the least beat off whoever had found him.

Looking up just a little, Inuyasha found a pair of familiar feet before him and suddenly the fearful fluttering of his heart calmed. He would recognize the strange, futuristic sandals and strange socks anywhere. Feeling the wave of relief wash over him quickly faded and the hanyou felt the need to tell Deidara to leave before he drew attention to them both and got them eaten. _Why had he gone against his word? He'd said he would stay put._ He lifted his head and frowned at the figure of the ninja standing before him and hissed in a voice so as to not alert the local demon population.

"_Deidara, what are you doing here? You promised you'd stay with Kaede tonight!_"

"Deidara eh?" Ice ran through Inuyasha's veins and his stomach sank down below his belt. That was not the voice of his lover. "Not I… but I thank you for telling me where he is hiding. I'll be sure to collect him when I'm through with you."

There and then Inuyasha's heart broke, knowing all that awaited him was an early grave. And to make it worse, he'd sealed his lover's fate along with his. All he could do now was try to prolong his demise. He kicked hard against the dying wood and propelled himself out to the brush, futilely trying to escape immediate torture. But as he cleared a tangle of brush, his face was met with a sandal, his teeth rattling in his mouth and spilling a great gob of blood.

As Inuyasha went sprawling, he felt fingers wrap around his ankle, the skin where Itachi grabbed burning as if it had been licked by flames. The ninja suddenly jerked him sideways, throwing him through the air and sending him crashing into the ground and rolling sideways. As the raven-haired half demon found his bearing and tried again to scramble away, Itachi's heel dug deeply into his back, grinding in between his shoulder blades and drawing out a howl of pain.

As Itachi continued, he reached down a seized a knot of raven hair, yanking the weaker man's head back. He stepped off and drug his victim by his hair, making the hanyou's body twist and scramble to try to turn with the pull, gripping hard to the base of his roots and grumbling in pain. The shinobi forced Inuyasha to his feet, choking him with his iron grip and ramming him into the trunk of his hiding spot. A dribble of blood oozed out of Inuyasha's mouth, and as Itachi's hand clenched tighter, he gritted his bloody teeth. Before he could blink, a series of lightning blows struck his chest and face, almost making him black out.

The enemy ninja slammed his victim against the fallen tree, compressing his windpipe against the molded wood until he struggled and gasped desperately for breath. Inuyasha scrambled against the log, wishing he had his claws back if for no reason more than to scramble away from his attacker. His human nails scraped across the tree and only managed to grind splinters into his soft skin and wear the ends of his fingers raw. Above him, Itachi only smirked, enjoying his position of power over the man who had made himself such a nuisance in the past few days. He leaned in with a cunning smile to the transmogrified half demon's ear.

"You are a lucky beast. I have decided to spare your life, take your breath of relief now… I have decided to spare your life so that you may know for the rest of your days ho miserably you failed to keep Deidara from me." The shinobi grinned cruelly and ground the hanyou's soft neck into the fallen trunk. "But, transgressions don't go unpunished, my little cur, and I'm afraid you will have to pay for them. You have looked upon and lain with the man whose body is my property, and such a thing will cost you an arm and a leg… oh don't worry… I don't mean that as a term-of-phrase…"

Inuyasha took in what moist breaths he could, trying his childhood trick of vacating his body, wandering to somewhere else until his beating was over. If he survived until the morning, he knew there would be a hell of a fight waiting for Itachi. Inuyasha closed his eyes and waited, only for them to be forced open with the Uchiha's next cruelty.

There was a sickening low crunch, like the sound of a large tree limb being shattered under the weight of an occupant far too heavy to be supported. Inuyasha tried to scream, not managing to make a sound as Itachi compressed his throat further. The shriek of agony burned in his throat, and without his voice for the pain to escape through, tears flooded the hanyou's eyes and streamed down his cheeks. Itachi had shifted just slightly and with some stolen technique acquired through the Uchiha's bloodline trait had barely touched the log with his right palm and the dead wood had suddenly sprung to life. The trunk had erupted violently, growing a clutch of thick branches which wrapped around Inuyasha's right forearm and constricted until the bone snapped. Once the ulna and radius had been broken, the pressure of the sudden growth eased until the branches merely served to hold the limb in place, allowing hot blood to seep through the crevices between branches.

Paying no heed to the tears streaking down his victim's face, Itachi continued without a word, keeping the other man's neck buried against the collapse tree. There was a momentary pause during which the suffering subsided and Inuyasha found the ability to whimper in miserable fear only hoping that his attacker would be finished with him soon.

Again the shinobi shifted his weight overtop of Inuyasha, increasing the pressure on the half demon's throat to drown out any outcries that might rise up just before he enacted a second stolen jutsu. Beneath the pair, the ground shifted, almost as if the earth below was all one living being. All the tiny particles of stone and earth that made up the sand underfoot gathered together like an enormous cocoon around the hanyou's right shin, compressing until like the bones in his arm had done, the leg too snapped under the pressure. Again the sounds of sheer pain were strangled out by Itachi's firm grip, lending still more saline to pour from Inuyasha's tear ducts and slide down his cheeks.

Unlike the branches, which didn't retract, the destructive sand fell away, leaving the crushed leg lying on a pile of silt and sticky, crimson blood. Finally the pressure on the tortured half breed was released, and he immediately gasped desperately to fill his agonized lungs. Itachi merely took a few paces back to admire his handiwork for a few moments before nodding with satisfaction at the broken man before him.

"Inuyasha, your debt to me has been repaid. I'm taking Deidara back where he belongs. If you follow me, I _will_ kill you." With nothing more, the Uchiha seemed to dissolve into the blackness of the night.

Left like a carcass after the slaughter, Inuyasha crumbled against the dead log and howled through the blood still bubbling in his mouth. As his body went slack, his arm readjusted and radiated stabs though his whole right side. His body seized and it made him lose balance. He fell onto his left side, his broken arm and leg relocating to stick in sickening positions. Whatever bile had collected in his stomach cam spewing up, making him choke out onto the dark grass. Inuyasha had long forgotten his pride, whimpering and sobbing in the dirt with agonizing throbbing covering him like a Satan's blanket.

Elsewhere in the forest, Deidara was dashing blindly through the trees, pushing himself past his physical limits to the point where his every muscle screamed in protest. But the young shinobi's heart was screaming louder, so harder and harder he pushed himself. Suddenly his nerves were assaulted with the sharp pang of chakra being used nearly a mile ahead. With his breath heaving desperately in his chest, the blonde shouted at the top of his lungs to overcome the burning in his muscles and force himself still further towards his lover.

The blonde pressed on until the hot spot died away, making him fling himself harder into the unknown scene. The drop in power level meant that whatever Itachi had been battling against, he had finished with. With his mind on the thought of his weakened lover beaten or worse, he didn't concentrate of the dwindling power source, which was closing in on him to his left. Too late did the blonde feel his ex-lover's presence as Itachi came crashing in, blasting him to the ground. The dirt rolled up around Deidara, leaving him in a crater for Itachi to pounce upon.

"My little kintori-kun, how I've missed you," the raven hair sneered, taking up his property by a wad of his gold hair.

Before thinking anything else, the younger ninja lashed out with a yelp, scraping his fingernails across the other man's cheek and leaving three distinct scratches across the Uchiha's plaid jaw. There wasn't but a split second for the raven-haired man to feel the pain before he released his fistful of Deidara's hair. Instead the Uchiha took a firm hold of Deidara's jaw and held it while his opposite fist gave the bomber's mouth a powerful blow. The blonde only made a quiet sound of protest as he spat out a gob of blood that welled up from a molar that had been made very loose by the punch.

"Now why do you want to go and anger me? Do you like me to beat you, Deidara? I'd much rather you apologize and we go home. I'm sick of beating on these simpletons… you know I'm only doing this to bring you home with me. Be a good pet and come quietly."

His answer was a nice, goopy wad of his lover's blood spat directly into his left eye.

"I see. Well then I'll just have to teach you another lesson when we get back." With that he again knocked his fist repeatedly into the blonde's face, loosening another tooth and almost breaking his nose.

With the sticky mess of scarlet blood streaming down his face from his nose and past his lips, Deidara groaned but still refused to concede to the will of his aggressor. Even when he was delivered powerful, chakra-infused punches to his gut and even his groin, the blonde man still would not let himself be taken. After minutes of brutal assault that dragged on for what felt like hours, Itachi's narrow filament of patience finally burned out. Taking a hold of Deidara's head, though not without struggle, in both of his hands, the Uchiha slammed his fellow ninja's skull against the ground until he went limp and lost consciousness.

Looking over the unconscious man's face, the older man sighed heavily.

"What a waste. I always did love your face. Ah well, bruises will heal, scraps will mend, and if I have to chain you up for the rest of your life, then I will. I won't let you go, my kintori. I love you too much. See all the blood I've spilt to get you back to me? You need to learn to appreciate things, Deidara…" When he received no answer from his comatose lover, the smallest of grins slide across his mouth. "Oh well, I'll teach you when we're home." With that, he scooped up his prize, letting him drip blood all over his cloak as the assassin made his way through the foreign land towards their true time period.


	12. Healed and Broken

Chapter 12

Healed and Broken

The sun was just beginning to crest over the edge of the earth, warming the new day and bringing light to the forest. On the back on an exhausted, plodding horse, the priestess and her tiny, demonic companion were still busy scouring the expanse of trees for their missing friends. Not only had their search for Inuyasha turned up negative for the entire night, but after Deidara had run ahead, he too seemed to have vanished.

Kaede was hunched over in the saddle snoring quietly, her lack of energy coming from her ripe, old age, all the while, Myoga was perched on the head of her mare, steering the beast and keeping his half-lidded eyes out for any sign of the two men. Suddenly the flea demon's head shot up and his eyes snapped wide open; immediately he was on his feet and at attention.

"Lady Kaede! Milady you must wake up! It's Master Inuyasha! He's close!"

Nodding her head in her sleep, the elderly priestess finally woke to Myoga's urgent calls and blinked down at the tiny bug while he told her again and again how close Inuyasha was until the information clicked in her groggy mind.

"Close? Are you sure?"

"This nose doesn't lie milady" the flea narrowed his eyes as if to ward off skepticism. "I'd know the scent of Master Inuyasha's blood anywhere!"

With the mention of blood both elders exchanged looks of distress, knowing the planned night of safety had obviously gone awry. Flicking the reins of her stead, the old miko drove her horse on in Myoga's directions. Soon they broke through to the clearing, arriving to a sad scene for the now renewed hanyou.

Even with his demon strength back, Inuyasha lay in his pathetic lump on his side, a grand pool encompassing him of his blood. Lady Kaede cringed at the horrid shape of his limbs, the bone still protruding from the break in his arm, and his leg bent in an unimaginable angle. As the yokai left the human to try to rouse his charge, Myoga bounced to meet Inuyasha's haggard face, shocked at his finding. Inuyasha's eyes were open, but vacant and unresponsive to his movements.

"Oh dear, oh gods no! It can't be, one Master Inuyasha-" but as the flea began to weep a low thump caught his ears. He bound over to Inuyasha's chest and listened, hearing another weak thump.

"He's ALIVE! Oh happy day, he is still alive!"

"Yes, but not for much longer by the look. Move, we must get him back and bandage him before he loses anymore blood. With proper setting, his bones with heal, but the wounds must be sealed."

After a great ordeal with getting the hanyou's limbs temporarily splinted and his body onto the back of Kaede's horse, the beast of burden was forced to brunt the weight of both adults and still make haste back to the village. The sun had climbed well over the horizon and was working its way ever so steadily towards the height of day by the time the trio returned to the cabin of the medicine woman. Working with a quick urgency, the priestess was diligent and speedy with setting Inuyasha's bones back into place, cleaning and dressing the wounds and finally putting the injured limbs into more permanent splints. All the while Myoga paced nearby, working himself into a tizzy with worry for the son of his Master.

When the mending was all over, Inuyasha lay with his arm and leg immobilized in wood and rags, and his body and face were littered with a few faint bruises and scrapes, the lesser ones healed with the return of his demonic blood. His breaths were long and even, and as the day wore on his vitals improved. With Inuyasha's body solely working on its repair, he remained in his coma until late into the night.

Myoga and Kaede had taken turns watching over him, rewrapping his torn arm twice that day and were almost asleep themselves when the half-breed's eyes painfully opened. His golden eyes carefully searched the room until they found the flea demon crouched beside his face.

"…mmm, uh. Wwwwhere am… uuuhhh- Ahhh!" As his body awoke from slumber, the pain in his broken limbs rekindled and Inuyasha couldn't help but try to cringe. Finding them in splints, he growled and bit his lip, waiting for the pain to ebb.

"Drink this, it eases," the old woman brought a drink to his lips, which spilled over his lips as he swallowed. It was a thick concoction with pungent flavor, but he forgot to complain.

When he'd obediently swallowed the entire herbal brew, the hanyou groaned and let his head fall to its side, coming face to face again with the flea demon. Slowly, everything that had transpired the night before until he had blacked out began to return to Inuyasha's fuzzy brain, every new memory causing his brow to furrow. The night seemed to play in reverse… like he was waking up and all of the torture was being taken back, but he began to piece the story together. He had blacked out, Itachi had abandoned him, Itachi had broken his leg, Itachi had broken his arm, he'd been strangulated… Then the very words Itachi had said to him came flooding back, making the half demon's heart freeze.

_I thank you for telling me where he is hiding. I'll be sure to collect him when I'm through with you._

Itachi was through with him… the question was then, where was Deidara? Had he managed to escape from Itachi? Was he somewhere out in the forest taking refuge by himself? Or had he simply fallen victim to the more powerful ninja? He couldn't stand the questions swimming in his head, all the thoughts were making him dizzier and sicker than he already was.

"Uhhhh… M-myoga… god… where's Deidara?"

"Master Inuyasha, please don't exert yourself! You have serious injuries, and by getting worked up you will just-"

"Where is he flea!" the hanyou growled, trying to roll to meet him. But a steady hand quickly stopped him. Kaede sighed heavily and pulled him back, Inuyasha grunting painfully.

"You must remain calm or you will not heal. If you wish to be of any use to anyone, you cannot have broken bones. As of last night, we were discussing you and your… condition was addressed. He set out to help you and we lost sight of him late into the night. We were lucky to find you before you lost enough blood."

"You were…. You told him WHAT!"

"Now Master Inuyasha, please don't be irrational! It simply came up as a necessary part of a very important conversation!" The insect demon hopped onto the wounded man's chest, crouching forward in an apologetic stance. "You must understand. He was making unnecessary comparisons between himself and you! It just came up! Besides, if it hadn't, we would have never been out to find you in the first place!"

"God Dammit, you **bastard**, I told you _not_ to talk to him!" Even with his good arm still bound in rags, his left arm was free to snatch up the insect and almost crush him. His fingers pressed so hard together he could feel the yokai's body strain painfully. "If you said anything about us and what we do, I'll kill you!" through the pain surging through his right side and the dizziness of worry, Inu wasn't above murdering him now to regret later.

"You must - EEK! You must understand! It was the context of the situation! It was simply called for! In your best interest I had to enquire if his intentions were at all romantic. I merely presented the facts that entering into a relationship with a man might not be the best for _you_ Master Inuyasha." The hanyou squeezed his victim until he squealed to be released. "I swear it was only for your benefit!"

"Benefit my ASS! I ought to pop you, you little bug! If you ruined this for me, I will end you!"

"Inuyasha, calm down," Kaede placed her hand over his, pulling to pry his fingers. "Killing him will not solve anything. Deidara-sama was not fazed by him, Inuyasha. He is a very strong person, and has strong feelings for you that aren't easily swayed by others. We were searching for Deidara along with you, but if we are to find him, I believe we are in need of your help. If he has not returned by nightfall… I do think we two cannot help him. He is not one to be merely lost, so something bad has befallen him if he cannot be found. Inuyasha, it will not be an easy thing, but you must stay here and heal if you want to help your friend."

Gasping to regain his breath, the flea demon clutched at Kaede's gnarled thumb for stability.

"You must take heed of milady's words Master Inuyasha. Mending your fractured limbs is our number one priority; Deidara will have to have to wait until you have fully recovered."

"If Itachi's got him, it can't wait!" Inuyasha's leg flared up and he had to free his hand to grasp at it. With himself liberated from his charge's hold, the flea demon fled to the old woman's shoulder, far out of Inuyasha's reach. "Dammit, if he's with that asshole, he's not going to last until I get to him! We need to go now!"

"And what do you presume we do when faced against Itachi? Do you think you can fight him in your condition? Inuyasha, resting and gaining back all of your strength will make it more likely that you win this fight and save Deidara. Now lie down, before you break you splints and make it worse."

With a soft stroke, Kaede combed the hanyou's hair away from his forehead and coaxed him to lie down. Despite the young half demon's groan of protest, he stayed prone, giving into the urges to relax and allow his body to heal. The elderly woman continued to comfort him in a gentle, motherly manner, stroking his forehead and whispering her encouragements.

"Ugh… I swear to you Deidara… I'll find you… or my name's not Inuyasha…"

Somewhere dark and damp, a tired body roused from its unconsciousness. The man moaned lowly, letting himself wake up from his beaten in sleep. His body ached and by a simple raise of his arm, he found them immobilized. He tried to look back, but in the dark it was impossible to tell what held him.

"… shit un," he groaned, letting his blonde hair fall into his bruised and sore face.

As slowly, past the numbness of his unconscious state, he began to regain feeling in his body, Deidara began to become aware of the feeling of cold iron wrapped around his wrists and his throat. Through these little realizations, the ninja took in his situation very slowly, piece by piece. The stone floor beneath him was damp and covered with silt, making it difficult for him to curve his back without causing him to slide and choke himself on the shackles that bound his neck. All the same, as dire and terrifying as the place he found himself in was, the bomber dared not to open his mouth and call out for help out of a healthy fear of who might answer should he do so.

_Inuyasha_, he thought desperately. _Please… come find me…_

Two agonizing days passed, two elderly beings struggling to tend to a healing hanyou. Every once in a while the man would try to rise and sneak off, but he was caught and sentenced back to his place in Kaede's hut, forced to wait until his body healed. Every moment that passed ate away at Inuyasha's hope, and the more time passed the angrier he became. It grew more and more common that he verbally lashed out, demanded that he be allowed to stretch his undamaged muscles, or completely shut down. The physical prison of his injuries infuriated him, and with his none existent hold on his temper his friends grew ragged and tired.

Gradually, with the aid of the demonic blood pulling through is veins, the shattered limps were re-forged, but not after a grueling healing process. There were certain aspects to the mending of the fractured osseous that caused greater pain in the hanyou than the same restoration might have caused in a human with the same injury. The rate at which the bones re-assimilated caused Inuyasha discomfort in his best of moments and sheer agony in his worst. The general process being like any normal cell realignment but at thousands of times the normal speed was maddeningly painful, but somehow only fueled Inuyasha's incurable desire to be rid of his injuries and set out in search of his beloved.

With the evening of his third recovering night settling in, the priestess finished dishing out their dinner and sat beside him, bringing the food to his left hand to feed himself. As he slurped, she smoothed her hands over his right arm, making sure he hadn't flexed and broken his new splint.

"Has the pain returned?"

Inuyasha shook his head.

"Mmmmm, ah nah, it's just sore. Sssss be careful."

"Stop flexing your arm then."

"I'm not."

"You are clenching your fist, Inuyasha. The more you push yourself, the longer it will take-"

"I know, I know old woman. I'm not pushing anything… I just don't want to lose feeling in my fingers. When can I look at it, it's got to be healed by now. Plus I can move my knee… that's good, right?"

"I will leave them in the casts tonight, and in the morning we will look."

"We should take it out now. It doesn't hurt- AH!" he growled as she squeezed his bicep, silencing his insolence.

"I know you are recovering, but I wish you would be quiet. If you wish to go half-healed and re-break, then by all means test your strength. But if you want to be ready to face Itachi, you will rest and let me be the judge. I have had many years to learn of the body, so I believe I can properly get you back into fighting condition."

Inuyasha took the news but not without a great deal of grumbling; the longer he was kept in the elder's care, the longer Deidara was put in danger and the longer he was in danger, the less likely he was to be… The hanyou shook his head in frustration, trying to clear his thoughts of the consequences if he was to find the artist too late.

That night, the half demon forced himself to sleep early, telling himself that if he rested enough he would be prepared to set out in the morning. However, he weathered a long night fraught with dreams and nightmares all bringing to life the vivid wonders and horrors that had been plaguing his waking mind. Time and time again, Inuyasha's mind fantasized about rescuing the blonde, about holding him and kissing him and loving him. Still, the hanyou's slumbers were riddled with the fears that wracked his mind and made him ill to his stomach; premonitions of arriving too late and finding the other man abused and murdered, holding his spoiled body and weeping.

Thrice he awoke in a cold sweat, and only once found his cheeks wet with unconscious tears. He tried to at least stand in the middle of the night so he could pace his frustrations out, but with no working right leg he was banned to the floor to brood over his tasks ahead of him. Inuyasha grit his teeth loudly, but the other occupants of the hut were oblivious and slept on. Towards the end of the night, the beginnings of the new moon cycle still dimly lighting the night, he looked up to the roof of the small dwelling and ran through his awaited fight with the Uchiha. Random fight situations popped into his head, and with each he found a way to counter it somehow. But as his tactics drummed through his mind a grave reality presented itself…. It was not his world. He could run through the strategy of his known opponent, but… what about the rest of their team?

With his lips pursed and his ears folded back, the half demon rolled the notion over and over in his mind but in the end there was no escaping the harsh reality; should Itachi's allies fight by the ninja's side, the endeavor to rescue Deidara would be lost completely. It would take a miracle to last so many as five minutes against the organization of skilled assassins. A miracle… or an army… Inuyasha groaned around and grasped his head, falling back to the wooden floor with a thud, utterly at a loss. Where on earth would he be able to drum up any kind of support in time to prove helpful? Of course he could ask for the aid of his old comrades, Sango and Miroku, but as he understood, the demon huntress was with child yet again with child on leave from all sorts of battle. Though the monk was formidable by himself, even coupled together the two men wouldn't be nearly enough to combat the Akatsuki.

With this horrible roadblock in his plans, he took up to his habit of cracking his knuckles. Unbeknownst to him, his routine stirred one of the others. The tiniest lodger rubbed his eyes roughly, not able to ignore the loud cracking any further. Dusting himself off, Myoga looked about the dark abode and found his Master's son awake. He quickly bound over to him, settling on the hanyou's big toe as his stand.

"M-Master Inuyasha…. What seems to- aaaaah… to be troubling you?" the flea yawned.

"You think? I got a busted up body that I can't use, Deidara is in more danger every second I'm not there for him, and now I fucking remember, just now, that it's not just that bastard I have to worry about. They're part of a whole fucking team of assassins, and I know nothing about them, and if I go in there I'm gonna get my ass beat and get even more fucked up, if not killed, and then there's no hope for me rescuing him!"

"Do not despair Master Inuyasha," the flea did an adequate job of consoling his charge though he lacked the enthusiasm of a fully awake man. "You have numerous friends who would be willing to aid in your uh… rescue attempt… Why, haven't you thought to send for Master Miroku and Lady Sango?" The tiny yokai scratched the back of his balding head as if running through is mind, searching for allies who could be rallied in his charge's favor. "And what of the horse hanyou, Jinenji or the raccoon-dog Hachi? You are still on friendly terms with them both if I am not mistaken."

"Sango ain't in no shape to fight, and Miroku's too busy providing for his kids… Jinenji aint' a fighter, and Hachi's a coward… like you." He wiggled his toe, throwing off the yokai's balance.

"Now see here, Master Inuyasha, I am not a coward!"

"Then why do you turn tail at the sight of a fight?"

There came no reply, letting Inuyasha find a reason to smirk even through the grim time. After some time though his smile faded, his worries consuming his worn body.

"What am I gonna do, Myoga?"

The insect was taken back. It was the first time he could ever remember Inuyasha asking his advice. He had always seemed confident, more likely bull-headed, but always sure of himself. But now, it seemed as all his hopes had been stolen along with his lover. No matter how much the thought made Myoga was the cringe, it seemed as if losing this new man had made his charge lose his reasoning for life, making the tiny male depressed beyond measure. He had promised the great demon that he would watch over his son and shape him into a man, and he could see if he was to make Inuyasha happy and the man he was destined to be... he need to help get Deidara back.

"… I... I do not know, Master Inuyasha. For now… you must build your strength and…. Hope for tomorrow."

"… Alright. Wake me up early, Myoga." With that Inuyasha turned over and closed his eyes.

In the back of his mind, Myoga had already begun planning on building the hanyou's forces, no matter how much the man wouldn't like the soldiers.

The half demon struggled through the remaining hours of the night in restless, light slumber, his head tossing from side to side as his mind was filled with images of failure now outweighing those of success. By the time the sun was cresting the horizon, Inuyasha had utterly collapsed, sinking into a thoughtless realm of sleep near to a state of unconsciousness. The morning was well through its paces in drying the nightly dew from the greenery of the land by the time the hanyou's torpor was finally broken. He lay on his back in a half-slumbering, half-awake trance as slowly his senses scrambled to catch up with his rousing mind.

He groaned in his sleep, and in an effort to pull himself back into the land of the living, Inuyasha took in a deep breath through his nose and totally filled his lungs. Instantly his senses were assaulted by a mixture of odors, each recognizable in its own right. Firstly his tight stomach lurched at the scent of hot food boiling in Kaede's pot, demanding to be fed without any further torment. Secondly however, the air was laced with a thick, pungent smell with which the half demon was altogether too familiar. It was a deep, wild stink like the stench of a man who lies with wild animals and never rinses away their smell. The mutt's offended nose crinkled immediately and he jolted forward, sitting bolt-upright, his head instantly turning in the direction of the strong scent.

Across the hut, the priestess Kaede sat side by side and served piping hot stew to a demon Inuyasha was regretfully well acquainted with. Wrapped in his brown furs and with his royal tail tucked neatly around his calloused, bear feet the leader of the wolf tribe lifted one of the miko's finest bowls to his lips and gulped down the broth gratefully, paying no heed to the waking man adjacent to himself.

"Man, this is some good shit," Kouga smirked as he finished off his fifth bowl of her cooking, "you know, considering it's cooked and all."

"Well I'm glad to see I can cook well enough to please even a yokai." As Inuyasha watched the bizarre sight, her only good eye finally found him, bringing her full attention to him. "Well good morning, Inuyasha. We have guests."

"Hey hey, mutt. Bout' time you woke up. So how did you sleep without that little bitch next to you last night?" It took a moment of silence for the comment and appearance of the demon leader in the priestess's village to sink in, but eventually Inuyasha rose to meet the occasion.

"What the fuck are you doing here, asshole?" not remembering is condition, the hanyou tried to stand, only hurting his recovering leg enough to knock the wind from his chest. He shamelessly collapsed back onto the floor, the demon snickering while Kaede moved to aid him. As the old woman helped his sit up, the silver-hair growled angrily at his ling time rival. "As if I don't have enough problems I got to deal with your stinking ass. What the hell do you want?"

"Well if you're gonna be an ass to me, I don't have to stay. A little bug told me that you were in need of some help, but I can see I'm not wanted. I can just go and take my pack back up to the mountains and you can go deal with Itachi and his little gang all by your broken self. You have fun with that." The wolf demon pushed himself up to one knee before the miko waved him down.

"Now don't' be so rash, Kouga-sama. Inuyasha isn't thinking clearly and-"

"Wait," the hybrid interjected, "… what do you mean 'your pack'?"

Kouga smiled and finished standing, making his way past the other man to the doorway, sweeping away the cloth door to show Inuyasha the hustle and bustle just outside the hut.

Looking out, wrapping around the side of Kaede's home were a few make-shift tents and fires, several wolf demons clustering around them, an overall pre-battle attitude radiating from their actions to sharpen weapons and excite themselves for combat.

"I'm surprised you didn't hear us coming in late last night… for a guy who's supposed to protect this village form demons…. You really suck."

In the next instant a number of expressions crossed the stunned hanyou's face. At first he was still completely petrified by the sheer magnitude and numbers with which the demons ad arrived, practically at his doorstep. There was a twinge of anger in his eyes as still the demon tribe leader harped on him, but even the offensive banter was shoved to the back of his mind as a wolfish grin spread across Inuyasha's mouth. It was exactly the sort of miracle he had been praying for in his restless hours. Remembering his company with a grunt, the half demon suddenly forced his smile away, taking on a much more apathetic look instead and giving his company an apathetic grunt.

"I suppose you and your flea-bitten rabble will have to do."

Kouga gave an indignant snort in response, letting his brow furrow and reaching out to grasp the hanyou's shoulder. Though the silver-haired man growled as he was shaken slightly by the wolf demon, he would never admit to the other man that the action caused him pain in his still mending limbs.

"That's not the way I heard it, dog-shit. The way I heard it was that Itachi took away your new bitch and that pissed you off, but you couldn't do jack about it on account of Itachi leaving you with naught but your life and even that only by a thread. The way I see it… you're an investment in my future, got it? Like trade and shit… I'll scratch your back now, and you gotta scratch mine later whenever I take a notion to call in the favor. Not only that, but you'll be scratching the backs of a lot of my wolves too… But you're the one who needs the army, so you ain't got much of a choice if you ever wanna hold blondie again."

Even though the hanyou knew what he said was true, in their world he couldn't afford to show thanks, seeing as he was already weak from two broken limbs. He huffed and bent his left knee, pushing off the wall and rose to stand next to Kouga. With all of his weight on his good leg, he could stand long enough to give an accepting nod.

"Well we'll see abut favors, but I'm not gonna be your little errand boy after this. If those flea-bags think I'm gonna owe them anything, then you're fucked up."

"Well we don't have to help you out, dog-shit! If you think you can just get us to fight your fights while you're being a bitch, then forget that! You're on your own."

"Now hold on, Kouga, I think Inuyasha will agree to be indebted to you, but expecting him to do favors for you clan members seems extreme," the miko chimed in.

"Alright," the raven-hair huffed, "but you do owe me, bitch, don't think you can sneak out of that. Can' you even walk?" To answer his own question, he pushed on the hanyou, knocking off his uneasy balance. With a sharp yelp Inuyasha buckled, but to his dismay Kouga was there to catch him. "Shit, you're pathetic. Come on, let's go get your leg working. She says you need to start trying to walk, so let go, ya dumb cur."

Narrowing his eyes at the other man, the half demon let a low warning growl rumble in the back of his throat but at the same time, couldn't allow his threat to pass the defensive sound; after all, _he_ was the one in need of help. He allowed Kouga to give him his right arm to be used as a crutch, and as undignified as it felt, the hanyou accepted the support. Like a father walking his new toddler for the first time, the wolf demon stayed beside Inuyasha pace for pace lending him his steadiness as the aching bone became readjusted to the forgotten stress of having weight applied to it. Showing his injured companion at least an air of compassion, the yokai avoided parading the wounded man through the wolf tribe's makeshift camp, instead taking him into the forest where hopefully peace would be found to stretch Inuyasha's leg in.

When the two had been walking for a good twenty minutes and were well into the familiar deer runs of the ancient woods, the mutt's limp finally eased up and he began to walk more as normal, using Kouga's arm less and less.

"Not bad, dog-breath, considering before I got here you couldn't even get up to take a shit." Thinking himself rather clever, the wolf demon smirked at the other man, counting the comment as a victory in his own book.

"Would you shut the hell up? I'd like to see you get your leg and arm broken and then walk around like nothing. Get the fuck off my back."

"Whoa there, mutt, don't go barking when you got no bite. If you're gonna act like a bitch when we go after Itachi, then you're done for sure. Just walk around on your own and I'll kick your ass if you fall." With that the yokai let go completely and left Inuyasha to stumble and desperately fight for some stability. Kouga looked around them and found a trunk to lean on, watching his counterpart struggle to reclaim his health and taking in his drive to be better. Apparently this human really meant something to him, seeing him fight against broken bones and beatings to fight off someone like the Uchiha. The leader thought back to last night when the flea demon had come to him, begging him to aid his Master.

"_Oh great Kouga, Leader of the North and South Wolf Demons, here me out… My Master Inuyasha needs your assistance. A great tragedy has befallen him and he is in need of a large group to fight against Itachi and his forces."_

"_Why the fuck does dog-shit need me?"_

"_He is injured to greatly, and too take on such and unknown force alone, even with his full strength is too great a danger for him to brave alone. I ask of you to aid us, in hopes that he may repay you one day."_

"_I don't give a shit what he-"_

"_Consider this, if I may. If you are to assist Master Inuyasha with the retrieval of Deidara, it would leave you free to pursue Lady Kagome without competition."_

Kouga hadn't believed him at first, but through a long process of the tiny guardian explaining how he too had come to believe the pair's relationship actually romantic, he slowly accepted the idea and sought to take full advantage of it.

"So lemme ask you something, mutt," the wolf demon muttered as Inuyasha unwrapped his arm. The hanyou only glared at him, waiting for the inevitable query to begin. "If I help you get Deidara back, that mean I got dibs on Kagome when she comes back?"

"She's isn't coming back, wolf-breath."

"Yeah, but _if_ she is… you can't go after her, right? I mean, you've got the bitch… right?"

Inuyasha paused in his pacing exercise, clutching at a nearby tree with his good hand and digging his claws into the soft bark.

"You know Kouga… you really ought to stop calling Deidara a bitch if you know what's good for you… I only need one foot to kick some ass…"

"Whatever shit-for-brains." Kouga scoffed, itching at the side of his throat to show he wasn't intimidated. "So if you've got Deidara, then it sure would break that kid's heart for you to go chasing after Kagome if she ever comes back… know what I'm saying?" The wolf leader watched the other man's ears twitch and knew that past the silence, Inuyasha was deeply considering his words. "So you've got someone on your arm… _if_ Kagome ever comes back, you won't give me any opposition? You'll keep to yourself and your freakish little love thing with Deidara?"

"Thought you had Ayame?"

"Ah, don't pull that shit. I got her for the tribes and my pack, but that's different. If I saw Kagome again, I'd jump her in a heartbeat."

"How romantic… but I get that."

"Shut up and answer to question, mutt? Who's laying in your bed at night?"

Inuyasha shuddered at the wording, but knew it needed to be said.

"… I'm going into battle with broken bones for him. I… I love him. If Kagome comes back… I hope she understands- but I don't think she is coming. She has her own world, Kouga, and we might just have to live without her."

"Yeah, I figured." The cripple shot an angry look at him, questioning why he had brought up the question at all if he knew the answer. "Come on, mutt face…. A guy can dream. How's the arm?"

"It should be good to hold Tetsusaiga if I stretch it a little more… I guess the breaks weren't as bad or something… wanna let me test it with a few swings at you?" The hanyou narrowed his eyes at the wolf demon and smirked only hoping that Kouga would be able to detect his jest.

"Yeah, no thanks dog-breath… I don't want it getting pinned on me when you re-break your arm trying to bitch-slap me. Just keep doin' your own thing, you can test Tetsusaiga on some trees if you're feeling up to it." To this, Inuyasha only nodded, not even bothering to answer lest it stir up more banter he really didn't feel like countering. He took to flexing the recovered arm testing it gradually by using the limb to support him as he leaned his weight against the trunks of nearby trees. Still the wolf demon only stood back and watched with halfhearted amusement, getting more of a kick out of the hanyou's weakened state than anything else. Of course with the slow going of the rehabilitation, it didn't take long for Kouga to get bored and begin posing his questions to the hanyou again.

"So if you and Deidara are… what… mates? How does that even… like how does that work? How do you mate with a man anyway? You just fool with each other's… or what?"

"You know, I didn't know that either, but then we…. shut the fuck up, wolf." Remembering who he was addressing, Inuyasha quickly switched back to his hot-headed defenses, only pushing Kouga further to push his large buttons.

"Aw come on, dog-breath, tell me! I wanna know now and I ain't gonna quit asking til you tell me."

"Shut up, or I'll shove my foot up your ass."

"Fine, then I'll break your weak ass toes, now tell me!"

"Drop it, ya flea-bag!"

For several more minutes the pair argued, Inuyasha still hobbling around to work his leg with the yokai aggravating him from the sidelines. But as they stayed there, the hanyou regained enough stability to retrieve his sword, letting its weight help strengthen his arm. Even with his snarky demeanor, the wolf tribe leader watched carefully, assessing his comrades' abilities to gauge for the upcoming battle.

After a few minutes of exercises with lifting the ancient blade and giving it a few practice swings, Inuyasha was finally confident enough to test his father's fang once again. He lifted the massive curved blade in both his hands, an impressive feat even without two limps being recently broken and slung it over his shoulder in preparation for an attack. With a grunt of effort, the hanyou adjusted his footing in the leaf litter and let the gravity of the sword begin the attack as he swung the weapon in a mighty arc. As he was so used to, he screamed the name of one of his most famous techniques as the air around his sword seemed to rip and snap into vortices of energy as the space was rushed to be filed. The great blade cut through the air, sending out swirling pools of glowing energy that grew like a supernova, feeding themselves on the nearby air and erupting into four devastating stripes that ripped through the earth towards their target. The brilliant claw marks tore their way into the bark and meat of an ancient tree, cutting the top from its thick body in a diagonal cut, and quickly the leaves and branches weighed it down to topple in Inuyasha's direction. Before the two halves could separate, the wolf demon had leapt up to connect a round-house with the top, sending it to fall the opposite direction. Already the birds residing in the branches had fled form the force of the attack rattling the tree, but as it crashed into the forest floor, scampering creatures fled in all directions from their hiding in the tree and ground below.

Inuyasha grumbled to himself about not needing to be saved but even the cocky wolf couldn't dampen his successful execution of the technique. Though his breath huffed in his chest, the hanyou couldn't help but smirk at the felled tree, imagining that instead of a trunk, he'd severed Itachi, splitting him in half through the stomach. With a cruel grin plastered across his face, the half demon lost himself to the thought for a moment, allowing the scene to play through his mind again and again as he envisioned slaying the enemy ninja. For that minute or so, Inuyasha was gone, forgetting everything except the bloody prospect of goring the vile foe and painting the floors of his own home with his entrails. For that minute, all else was gone, his argument with Kouga was gone, his irritation with Myoga was gone… he even forgot that the reason he wanted to badly to murder Itachi was for the sake of his lover… for a single minute, he forgot to think of Deidara.

Suddenly there was a strong hand gripping his shoulder and shaking him and breaking him from his infuriated trance.

"Hey, hey stupid wake up you're starting to freak me out mutt-face!"

Instantly Inuyasha was brought back from his daydream, remembering that his challenge still lie ahead of him.

"What? Why are we standing around here?" he quickly stormed off, not giving the daze any attention or explanation. Kouga shrugged and hurried after him, not wanting to be seen following after the weaker species.

It had been days or weeks imprisoned in the dark, musty room. Deidara had lost count. With no light to indicate the passing hours, the bomber had settled on letting time rot him away until there was nothing left. Twice he had had a visitor, and twice he had prayed he hadn't. After first waking up long ago, the artist had managed to guess six hours passed before somewhere a door opened. It looked to be miles away, but some light had caught his eye and grabbed his full attention. For a while, the light stood still, but suddenly a thing blocked it, telling him there was someone there. Slowly the image shifted, a person descending down into the dark room, and as the light from the outside painted over the person, a bit of his heart chipped away. He could see the blood red eyes and deep set frown-lines of his ex-partner's face, and Deidara growled disgustedly as the Mangekyo Sharingan turned his way.

"My kintori-kun…" came the low voice of the Uchiha, like the sadistic purr of a carnivorous jungle cat. "You must be hungry… I can see that tiny little belly of yours beginning to waste away…" Itachi's hand cupped the blonde bomber's cheek and stroked it gently; the younger man would have jerked away had his head not been chained in place by the shackles around his throat. Still, Deidara refused to answer, refused to even look at his captor, not wanting to look into those terrifying, empty eyes. Still the raven-haired shinobi's hand caressed the younger man's skin trailing down to stroke the artist's emaciated stomach, showing now the severe signs of days worth of starvation. The blonde still made no sound, but moved his hips to wriggle his lower half away from the Uchiha's touch.

"Now, now Deidara… you ought to show me kindness. Do you believe that any other man in this organization would care one way or another if you perished down here without a bite of food or a sip of water? Out of the goodness of my heart, I have brought you that which will keep you alive." With that, Itachi held up in his hand a single onigiri, presenting the rice ball to his captive. "Without food you will surely die, my sweet kintori-kun. Agree to have me again… erase all memory of Inuyasha from your mind and be mine once more, and you shall have food and drink and love again. Deny me and this place will be your tomb. Choose wisely, precious man…"

With longing in his eyes, the young man could not take his gaze away from the onigiri being offered to him. His stomach wailed to have the food making his entire lower body ach as if he was broken from the ribs down. The artist tried to swallow, finding not enough moisture in his mouth to even complete this action, and he licked his dry lips with his dry tongue. With a painful shudder, Deidara finally collapsed, slowly nodding his heavy head as much as he could while still bound in iron, completely unable to speak through his painfully arid throat.

Itachi could only smile, taking the action as his consent. He made no move to unlock the ninja's shackles, instead simply moving in closer to the withered man, cupping his left hand behind Deidara's head to support it. He lifted the rice ball to the famished bomber's outstretched lips and watched with satisfaction as every scrap of the food was devoured greedily. When there wasn't a single white grain left, the raven wiped the stickiness from his hand on the younger man's knee. With a victorious smirk playing across his lips, the Uchiha held his captive's jaw and stroked his thumb over the man's chin.

"Now Deidara… tell me… what is the name of the man who shows you most kindness? What is the name of your beloved?" Swallowing some of the stickiness in the back of his throat, Deidara leaned his head as far downward as he could, only looking up at Itachi through his curtain of faded hair and eyelashes.

"_Inuyasha un…_"

All Deidara could do was numb himself, take his mind from his body as a punch crashed into his jaw before he could blink. The iron neck brace choked him as the force shifted his head to the side, and he moaned quietly. His jaw had already been bruised from beatings before, so the numb pain erupted again and radiated through his mouth and cheekbone.

"You will learn to obey, Deidara, or you will die here. Now I try and do what is best for you, and you want to crawl off to a monster? I thought you'd have better taste then that, kintori… Maybe if I starve you enough, you'll learn to appreciate the taste of me again. Well, that's all for now, my pet. I'll be back when you can be a good." The raven-hair shoved his lover's face playfully, pressing hard on the new bruises that were forming under Deidara's skin. "… I love you, Deidara, no matter how much you don't love me. You'll see." And without a word, Itachi planted a soft peck on his handiwork and left.

The bomber could only close his eyes, not wanting to watch as the beautiful sliver of light flickered and vanished as again the distant doorway clicked shut. If he'd had the energy to anymore, the younger man would have cried. If his body wasn't so dehydrated that he could barely use his muscles, tears would have streamed down his battered cheeks. If he hadn't already been drained of every last shred of hope in his body, he would have prayed for salvation; but in a cruel world like this, salvation never comes to the damned. Instead he kept his eyes sealed and tried to find sleep, any escape from the painful reality, and with any luck he might choke on the shackles while he was unconscious and die painlessly.


	13. Sneaking Past Fucking Ninjas

Chapter 13

Sneaking Past Fucking Ninjas

It was the beginning of night when bandage-free Inuyasha emerged from Kaede's hut, fed and healed and scratching for a fight. As Kouga and the old miko followed out behind him, the throng of wolf demons sprang to attention, a readied look from their fearless leader calling them to action.

"Alright, mutt, my men are ready… you know what you're doing?"

"Hell no, but that's never stopped me before. Round them all up and let's move out. With the night cover, we could get lucky and sneak onto their base without much noise. The less fighting, the better."

"What, you afraid of them?"

"No, I just don't want any of your bitches getting killed and you getting mad at me. They're here for a fight, so expect a little blood."

Kouga only gave his comrade the slightest of nods and raised one hand in the air to signal for the awareness of all his followers.

"You all heard dog-breath. We strike under cover of darkness. In my absence, you are to obey my second in command, Hakaku, and after him, Ginta. The enemy is strong and advanced, but we are brave and many! Any man who dies, will have died with honor."

All around the priestess's cottage, the gathering of wolf demons raised their weapons into the air and cheered, mostly loud screams of bloodlust while the animals around their feet threw their heads back and bayed in approval. The throng seemed to writhe like a living thing, roaring and shifting like the ocean as it hungers to meet the shore like the men hungered for battle.

With that Kouga turned to Inuyasha, nodding supportively, awaiting his move.

Suddenly the situation soaked in, an army of yokai before him, awaiting his command so to speak. With a flick of his hand he could drive a whole army to kill his enemies, and he could feel something new stirring inside.

_I guess this is what a leader feels like… I like it_.

But before the power could detour his mission he took his place at point and lead the militia towards the old well, on his way to reclaim his prize, his love…. His Deidara.

Like a thundering river, the wolf clan, followed by their leader and his ally, crashed through the ancient forest at full tilt. Their feet pounded against the fresh, springy ground and trampled the new vegetation, squashing the greenery and flattening all the imperfections in the ground as they poured through the woods like a herd of chattel. Aside from the beating of the ground underfoot, the warriors were silent, each bottling up his anticipation for battle and swallowing it into his gut.

When the clan met the edge of the ancient well, there wasn't a second's hesitation. Inuyasha plunged into the dark abyss without letting himself think; Deidara was far too important to pause and mull over. The wolf demons followed immediately behind, like a cascade of bodies into the unfamiliar pit, loyalty blinding them to the inherent dangers of jumping into a dry well.

As the dark mystics of the well's power engulfed them all, Inuyasha could hear the confused yelps and cries of the pack fade away, leaving him a few seconds to ponder things.

_Ok, so… how is this possible? I mean… I'm glad this is actually working, but how? The wells power comes from the- never mind, I don't want to know that badly. I go and start questioning shit, we'll end up getting stuck or thrown into the wrong time. Oh please please please make this work… I need this. I need him, and I need to save him. Please… make this work._

The waves of unknown washed away to clear night air slowly, bringing the hybrid out of his trance and back to his mission. He jumped quickly out of the closed wooden hole, feeling the rush of bodies behind him fill in the tight space. Inuyasha and Kouga cleared the opening of the well, bracing for an instant attack that thankfully didn't come. The area around the well was vacant and silent, and with quick signals the wolf leader directed his troops to fall into line and wait for their direction. The half-breed sniffed the air and instantly caught the smell of shinobi through the stink of demon. With a wave of his hand, he plunged into the night, following the stench of his enemy and the light musk left by his mate.

There was a clear, defined pathway through parted undergrowth that seemed to have been picked out by a single explorer. The rest of the region was a complete, impassable mat of weeds, shrubs and thorns, leaving the invading troops no alternative but to follow the narrow, winding tunnel through the knotted underbrush. Pelts were snagged and hair was pulled and tufts of fur were left behind, but not a sound was made above the tiny snapping of stems as the army picked its way through the dense thicket. While the winding passage seemed to carry on forever, it crossed Inuyasha's mind for a moment how there could be such a lapse of belief in magic in such a short amount of time that the ancient well was simply left to rot in the mesh of weeds and things.

The dense, unkempt mess seemed to thin and dim light filtered through from ahead. As finally the mat of vines and thorns fell away, the company came to pause just past the edge of the tree line, finding themselves staring up at what must have been a sheer cliff. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the stony slope, but in the clearing, the scents of many, powerful men had soaked into the ground from their frequent passing. As the half demon paused to taste the air, searching for the direction of his mate, Kouga came up beside him.

"Inuyasha, I want you to be careful… do a few things for me okay? If the ground moves, jump. Stay away from the water or you will drown. Don't let the white-haired man draw blood. And above all else… don't look into Itachi's eyes."

"Well I already figured that out… but what about the rest of that? Is there shit you know that I don't?"

"Look, Itachi and I talked. Not long, but enough to learn a few things. These guys aren't fucking around. Trained killers and whatever, but you've seen what they can do. They're humans, but they're freaks… like the Band of Seven! Holy shit, that's what I was thinking! I knew Itachi and blondie reminded me of… wow that took too long."

After a quick scan of the layout, it was clear there were no sentinels positioned outside, allowing them to move into the rock face and fan out. Everywhere there were demons clawing and digging at the ground in places of high scent, but everywhere they scratched in vain. Inuyasha and Kouga both climbed the rock face, finding no ledges or secret doors to speak of. Finally with an irritated growl Inuyasha dropped down and paced before the cliff. The demon was soon to follow, waiting for a new plan. Instead he saw the younger man lose his cool and punch straight into the wall.

"Right, go and fuck up your arm again, you so need that," Kouga sneered, but he stopped as Inuyasha's face went blank. "What?"

"..look at this." The hanyou pointed to the place of impact, and in truth Kouga wasn't fazed. But looking closer he saw what the silver-hair had; a chunk missing, opening up to an open space behind. Kouga pushed gently on the hole, but nothing budged. Rearing back, he too took a fist to the cliff side near Inuyasha's hit, and a great crack cascaded up the side for twenty feet, shaking it altogether. Large pieces fell away, and with mirrored grins the two men began beating the wall, tearing through to the large cavern behind what looked like solid rock.

Veiny cracks splintered the cliff face and with enough chipping away at the seemingly solid exterior, the stone finally collapsed, bringing down several tones of brown rock, carving a five-foot-deep slab from the bluff. At once there were demons crawling all over the pile of stones, tossing boulders aside and digging furiously through the rubble until in the remaining fraction of the cliff, something began to show through the gravel. Hakaku was the first to discover the iron lip, pulling away a large pile of rock that caused the dark metal to be revealed. As gradually the toppled stones were cleared away and the entire structure was revealed. A heavy iron plaque.

The sheet of metal was foreboding, as if all that it housed was a pure, dark evil. Engraved into the slab, in a perfectly even circle were ten kanji symbols, each seeming to have a kind of significance, as if they were where pieces of some great puzzle were to fit. From the top, clockwise they read "Zero," "Blue," "White," "Scarlet," "Mysterious," "Void," "South," "North," "Three," and "Jewel."

Frowning, Inuyasha reached up and traced his fingers over the ring of symbols, his brow furrowing as if knowing that the symbols were meant to represent each a member of the organization. _So there are ten of you… nine without Deidara…_ He mused to himself taking only the moment to hold the cusp of battle in his palms before taking a pace backwards and drawing his father's fang. With the threat out of its sheath, the tribe immediately parted, keeping out of the half demon's way as he prepared to demolish the barrier. With a loud grunt, Inuyasha swung his blade, unleashing the claws of light as he had in his practice. For a moment the air seemed to shudder, but as soon as the blast from the Tetsusaiga hit, it all but disappeared, leaving behind it only a few tiny sparks and an unscathed sheet of iron.

Furiously the hanyou tried again, this time using the Adamant Barrage and pelting the metal slab with shards from the great, demon blade. To his astonishment, and suddenly rage, most of the razor sharp pieces were deflected from the plaque, some even being absorbed into it and vanishing the same way the Wind Scar had been. Inuyasha gritted his teeth with blind fury boiling in his veins, he charged the barrier, hammering into it with his fists. He'd come too close to be foiled by a door that wouldn't open, he couldn't let this joke keep him from Deidara. However, not a single blow left a dent.

Suddenly, a pair of hands gripped his shoulders and he was drawn backwards away from the block of iron. Kouga yanked his comrade backwards, barring him from continuing to pound on the sealed gate.

"Inuyasha, are you fucking stupid? That's obviously not going to work, so stop before you kill yourself."

"I'm not letting this fucking door keep me from him! I don't care if I break my fucking arm again, dammit! What the fuck is up with this door?"

"Whoa, calm down there shit-for-brains" Kouga sneered giving the half demon's shoulders each a good hearty squeeze. "The Akatsuki are a league of _ninjas_, and ninjas love tricks; they're not like you and me, they can't go off brute force and demon powers, so they have to be clever. Look, in this world, they got a real fun-house… booby-traps, mind-fucking magic, all sorts of shit… they can't just have it so whoever's got enough dynamite can waltz into their hideout." Kouga took a step forward, pushing the hanyou aside but glancing at him to make sure he would stay. The wolf tribe leader studied the engravings closely and narrowed his eyes, rubbing his chin before turning to his clan and pointing at the ring of kanji.

"Does anyone recognize these symbols?" Inuyasha's ears flattened as he though how he could have done as much without really thinking. There was a general shuffling as the alpha wolf read off the markings in order. The troop shifted awkwardly for a moment before one took a step forward; it was Ginta.

"I don't know all of them, but the last nine are the Nine Syllable Seals… you know… the hand postures used by monks and stuff in meditation? So the only one that doesn't fit is… Zero…" The young, scruffy yokai walked forward until he stood directly before the sheet of iron, tracing his claws over the top-most symbol. "… _Rei_."

Suddenly the symbol began to glow and Ginta quickly retracted his hand, his partner in crime grabbing a hold of him and snatched him back into the cluster of familiar fur, leaving Inuyasha and Kouga to face the evil door. The heated glow from the kanji faded and in turn activated something within the iron, a split in the door breaking open. Instantly the group scattered to either side of the opening, letting the heavy metal door roar and scrap against the ground as it opened, making a silent entrance to the hideout slim to none. But with a loud thud the doors stopped, and the captains looked inside. There was darkness immediately inside, but with no direction of movement they nimbly walked in. once inside the entrance, they could see it was only going to get worse. They had expected a long hall filled with many doors or more walls blocking their entrance, but they only found that the room they stood in was all there was to the 'hideout'.

"Now what, mutt?"

Inuyasha snorted and paced the room, looking over the shaded walls. Easily overlooked, on either side of the room there were two sets of stairs, leading down without any light to see the way.

"Well, their scents are everywhere… we've got to split."

"Alright all," Kouga commanded in his strong, hushed voice, "we're splitting up." He could hear grumbles and whines form the pack, but with a quick jerk of his hand in front of his throat, they were all silenced for instruction. "Alright dog, I'll take the left pass and you can take the right. Here, take Ginta with you... he's more likely to listen to you. Ginta, keep the men in line, and you half, listen to the mutt... I don't wanna hear it!" Kouga again had to settle his troops before leaving them under the command of the hanyou. Taking the rest of his hoard, Kouga and Hakaku left to take the far set of stairs, moving their men swiftly down into the blackness.

Left with his team of rowdy yokai, Inuyasha sighed and huddled them up.

"Alright, now I know you all hate me, but forget that. We need to get in and get out without too much fighting. I know you think you can take these guys, but I don't want any of you falling behind and getting killed, so listen and move when I say. Got it?" having delivered a surprisingly authoritative speech, the demons all agreed in a roundabout manner, paying attention to their temporary leader and lieutenant.

The stairs wound downwards in a spiral; the further underground the twisted, the colder the stone underfoot grew. Every twenty steps or so there was a small landing built on the supporting arch above the landing directly below. There were torches that seemed to light intuitively as they sensed the presence of people approaching, leaving always the stairs above and the stairs below shrouded in mystery while there was practically a spotlight on the intruders. At the same time, the spiraling staircase was surrounded on all sides by ragged stone, so even with the light it was unlikely that they were being watched, but still the feeling was there.

Finally the stares gave way to a long hall filled with nothing but pitch blackness. Trying the waters, Inuyasha took the first tentative steps into the unknown, and immediately a lantern overhead burst to life in the same manner that the torches had in the stairwell. As far as the flame overhead illuminated, the passageway was longer and branched off in a four-way intersection twice before the light could gave way to utter darkness again.

"Now I want everyone to stay on me, got it? Let's not light more than one lamp at a time, and if we run into one of these guys down here, then we'll be better off together."

All at once there was a yelp from the left flank as one of the wolf demons clasped his hand over his mouth and whirled around to clutch at his tail. Taking a moment to calm himself, the yokai looked sheepishly at Inuyasha and hissed in a voice so as not to draw attention to the group.

"_Something bit me…_" He held up his tail into the light, and sure enough, there was a tiny trickle of blood dripping from the very end.

"_Remember what Kouga-sama said about tricks and booby-traps…_" one of the wolves nearby whispered, glancing over his shoulder nervously while the man who had been behind the injured demon scoffed.

"_Yeah, booby is right,_" with a smirk he held up a jagged ring of rusted metal that had been pinned to the wall, a tuft of brown fur and a few drops of blood hanging on one of the prongs. "_Bloody idiot snagged himself on a torch-holder._"

Inuyasha allowed for a few moments for the demons to tend to the injury, but always kept his ears turned out to listen to the echoes down the hall. He soon grew impatient and moved them out, pointing out room for the troops to investigate. For each door they opened with caution, and each time found them empty with very faint scents. As they closed another door, Inuyasha grew more irritated. How many rooms could be in one secret hideaway? It couldn't possibly be much further in… or maybe it wasn't even there. With all of the things the hanyou had seen… why not illusions of countless rooms? With a controlled bark, he rounded the group up and moved them out, abandoning the hallway to move deeper into the complex. As the lanterns followed the squad, something caught the light at the end of the hall, freezing the half-breed's advancement in its traces.

There was a deep, scarlet stain that trailed into the darkness, and taking in a deep breath, the hanyou found the scent of blood to be profound, pungent and fresh. It was the smell of a stranger's blood, a human, but all the same there was another injured man in the Akatsuki labyrinth. Thinking about it, it was not unlikely, in Inuyasha's mid, for the ninjas to keep multiple prisoners, and the do-gooder inside of him urged him to aid the bloodied victim just inside the shadows.

Wary of the possibility of traps, Inuyasha led his pack a few feet ahead as he approached the ever increasing smell of blood. When they had become close enough, the lamp overhead flickered on to reveal the source of the scarlet stain and the metallic smell. A man stood in the center of what looked like a bloody mess, the vermilion fluid leaking from his own left foot. Inuyasha would have come farther forward, he would have offered his hand to the wounded man had he not appeared so… terrifying. The man stood, swaying as if unstable clad in noting but his knee-length, blood-stained pants. His entire body was painted, or so the intruders could only assume, in a fashion that made him almost appear as an animated skeleton. The injured stranger had his silver-hair covered head bowed forward, casting his face in shadows. There was something defiantly not right about the new character deep in the bowls of the Akatsuki lair.

In the painted man's left hand, he held the handle to what appeared to be a tri-edged scythe with blades painted as red as the blood on the floor. The cruel end of the weapon rested on the ground behind the stranger as if he'd not had the strength to carry it as he dragged the weapon throughout the tunnels. In his right hand, he held loosely onto a long, black metal rod filed down to a point at the end strangely enough, dripping with blood. Suddenly the enormous scythe slipped from the painted man's hands and clattered to the floor, causing the only sound in the hideout to reverberate in all directions. The freed hand reached up and clutched at a large, sliver pendant dangling from around the victim's neck; in the dim light Inuyasha could just barely make out the shape of a circle circumscribed around a triangle.

"_Let me see… which one of you fuckers' blood did I swallow? Which one of you lucky bastards gets to die by Hidan's hand?_" the strange man hissed, slowly raising his head to reveal his equally painted face and bright, magenta eyes. His lips were twisted in an unnervingly sadistic smile that made Inuyasha heart skip a beat for a moment… he had the face of a complete, cold-blooded psychopath. With eyes trained on the hanyou, the albino narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brows as if looking hungrily at the other silver-haired man. "_I really hope it's your fucking blood I got in my mouth. I think it'll be fun to watch you fucking die._"

His sadistic smile suddenly grew into a wicked grin, and Hidan lifted the spike in his right hand and suddenly plunged it into his own stomach causing bright, red blood to spill from the new wound. At the same time, there was an agonized yelp from the center of the throng of wolf demons as suddenly one of their own, the yokai with the bandaged tail, grabbed his stomach and collapsed. At once there was panic, all put to the sound of the Janshinist's maniacal laughter ash he cackled, still with the rod dug deep into his stomach.

"_There you are! Aw too bad, thought I'd get to have some real fucking fun with you, dog man! Oh well, better luck next time_" With that the painted freak retracted his rod, spilling his own blood across the floor, staining the dirt scarlet. A few feet away, Inuyasha grabbed the hilt of his sword, not liking the small confides of the hall but willing to break out his massive weapon if necessary.

"We don't want a fight," Inuyasha barked at Hidan, "I just came for Deidara."

"Deidara? HA! Good luck prying him out of Ita-baka's iron grip. His emo nails are so far dug in he's gonna squeeze the mother fucking LIFE out of him!"

Inuyasha gritted his teeth, the words sending painfully raw images to his brain, but he couldn't let it get to him. He shook his head to clear his panicking thoughts, readying himself to a fight. The zealot's smile twisted sideways and all of a sudden he pierced his own chest with the long needle, plunging into his heart and forcing still more blood to gush from the fresh wound. There was another, frightened yelp from the downed wolf demon, and all at once his fruitless whining died away, and with it, the black and white markings on the Janshinist's body, leaving his skin a very pale cream.

"_Now that's out of the fucking way… why don't you gimme a taste of your damned blood, princess… Janshin-sama is always hungry for sacrifices of the impure souls_."

…_Don't let the white-haired man draw blood…_

"I'm not in a mood to fight you," the hanyou growled in warning. He slowly let go of his sword, bringing up instead his claws. If anything else he could unleash the Iron Reaver Soul Stealer and that would distract the freak long enough to slip past.

"Well ain't that a mother fucking shame? Did I hurt your Janshin-damned feelings by talking about your little jail-bait?"

"I will seriously kill you if you don't back out."

"I seriously fucking doubt that. Come on, wanna take a stab?" Hidan donned another clownish grin, taunting his prey in his usual fashion by holding his arms out as an invitation. "No? I'll start if you're too fucking scared."

"Just take your freak show somewhere else, I've got to go!" The mutt was growing tired of this sick little game.

"Well, how about this… you can come over here and suck my dick, then after that you can suck on my scythe here, and then I might think about fucking moving. How about that, you cock sucking, leg humping piece of shit?"

The last of his patience broken by the man's snide slur, Inuyasha shouted his attack, ripping the air before him to bring down his opponent. As planned his strike found its mark, tearing through flesh running up the sadist's torso to his smug face, knocking his head back. With the frustration finally released physically, the hybrid couldn't help but want to see the results of his handiwork.

With his head knocked back, it took Hidan a moment to process, but he did lean forward, his face in ribbons. But even through the tattered flesh, his lips curled sadistically.

"Well… that was mother fucking new."

Inuyasha shuddered, taking half a step back; he'd seen the bodies his attacks had made before, but never had one spoken to him afterwards. It was physically impossible for his opponent to still be alive… he probably should have thought of it before hand, but the zealot had pierced his own gut and heart, there wasn't much after such a fatal blow that could make him any deader. The hanyou gulped and put his hand back on the hilt of his sword, preparing to increase the strength of his attacks if doing so was even going to have an effect.

"How… are you still alive…?" Inuyasha had to buy time while he mulled over the prospect of goring a total stranger, even an enemy, who would most likely continue to speak to him, even with his guts spilled. On the other hand, still the hanyou's curiosity strived to get the better of him.

"Janshin-sama, bitch." Hidan snapped back, grabbing the pendant from around his neck and holding it out on the end of its chain. "Fuck Kami and Buddha. The _Evil God_ has chosen me as his fucking almighty decibel, givin' me immortality for Janshin-damned sacrifices and loyalty and love..." Holding the glittering talisman close to his chest, the silver-haired Akatsuki lowered his eyes and kissed the chain in a servile manner. "Why don't you draw that fucking sword of yours, dogface, are you too much of a pussy? Oh shit, look at me, I made a mother fucking joke! Shit, I knew it was fucking hilarious! Kakuzu was just being a jealous bitch…"

"Immortal, huh," Inuyasha grumbled quietly. While the sanctimonious freak kept talking to himself, the mutt put in place his plan, calling the demons to his rear and charging the preoccupied enemy. But even with his jester nature, Hidan was still a highly trained shinobi and braced himself. With frightening speed, he had pull his weapon of choice into his hand and prepared to bring the triple blades down on Inuyasha's head. As the gap between them closed, the hanyou proved the victor, getting in another melee attack at a much closer distance. With more power behind his claws, the mutt again tore up through Hidan's body, but the slice cut devastatingly deeper. The Janshinist too followed through with his assault, the last blade piercing the armor and pelt of another wolf demon, Inuyasha and Ginta having already moved past with a few comrades behind them.

The half-breed ventured a look back and was horrified at the sight of the expected corpse of his enemy cutting down fighting yokai. As they drew further away, he could still hear Hidan's manic laughter, however moist and ragged.

"Son of a BITCH, you almost cut me into fucking half, you pieces of shit! What do you bastards want? You want me to kill ya, then fine, I'll KILL ALL OF YOU FUCKERS!" his face was indeed torn straight down the center, exposing bone and tissue beneath, but he still raged on unlike any man cut down in battle. Once, Inuyasha thought to fall back and help the trapped wolves, but Ginta pushing him on, assuring him they were tough soldiers and would gladly serve to clear their path.

With ten wolf demons and Ginta hot on his heels, Inuyasha dashed through the halls, allowing his group to begin splitting up as they searched through every room in every corridor. The vast, uncountable majority were empty and identical, like never ending pieces to the grid-like puzzle of the base. Finally the group came to a point where their path T-ed off in two directions, one leading deeper into more identical catacombs, but the other being a narrow passage over a tiled floor. The skinny pathway was just wide enough for a single-file line and lead up to a very heavy –looking ornate door painted with gold and red and blue with the kanji "South" carved into the topmost doorframe.

Favoring following the new path if only to escape the never-ending labyrinth, the half-breed led the way slowly down the narrow corridor. There was no clear way to open the door; neither handles nor knockers nor anything but the detailed design painted on the front. Narrowing his eyes, Inuyasha thought for a moment of the way Ginta had opened the first door and followed suit, tracing his claws over the kanji and speaking the word for South. "Nan…"

The painting on the front of the door shifted for a moment, the blues and reds and golds swirling together, erasing the pattern of intricate but meaningless spirals and replacing them with the image of a great, golden snake-like shark monster with blood pouring from its parted jaws. After moments of displaying the new painting, the gate simply retracted upwards into the stone ceiling revealing an expansive room bathed in a cold, blue light.

The azure light seemed to ripple as it gave definition to the contents of the room; every wall possible was completely laden with weapons of all makes, shapes and sizes. It was difficult to see where the actual stone began through the heavy collection of swords, axes, halberds, and maces, each in pristine condition. His eyes scanning slowly around the room, Inuyasha suddenly found the source of the blue glow; a tank that stretched across the rightmost wall, full of long, bioluminescent jellyfish.

With his mission still in mind, Inuyasha poked through the room, checking behind doors and sniffing scents, only finding the pungent stink of fish. Disappointed, he turned to leave and found three demons poking inside the tank.

"What the- get the hell out of here! We're not here to mess around, you bastards, now stop touching them or they'll sting you." Getting childish glares the hanyou led them out of the room, finding no trace of the blonde inside. But turning around to trace back down the narrow hall, they found themselves trapped by a huge body looming at the end.

"If there's a party in my room, I'd like to know about it."

With a vicious snarl, the yokai closest to the 6.3 foot tall, gray-skinned, blue-haired behemoth launched himself at the new opponent, delivering a swift kick to the Akatsuki member's chest. The fishy smelling man flinched and skidded backwards across the stone floor, but didn't come close to toppling over. Looking up the shinobi grinned at his cornered enemies, bearing his rows upon rows of pointed, shark-like teeth. Without making any move other than the shifting of his palms and fingers, the smirking ninja brought his hands through a series of three hand seals.

All at once, everything was shrouded in a thick, blinding fog such that no man could see their own hand in front of his face. The only indication of the enemy still barring their pathway was his deep raspy chuckle.

"The mist blinds, but I can see through the water… now which one of you sneaks will feed my blade first?" There was a general backing up as a sound like a string of shells being dragged across the floor erupted slowly as the shark-man drew the massive weapon from his back, letting the living sword flex its razor-sharp scales in preparation for use.

Gritting his teeth, the hybrid pieced together a quick plan, not wanting to waste his time with another random member defending his turf. Barking his orders, Inuyasha called all of them back into the large room, finding the limited hallway too hindering for combat. With the remaining ten wolf demons inside of the room, their makeshift leader quietly relayed the plan. There was a wave of uncertainty, but again Ginta was there to mediate and assure his comrades of the tactic.

Al at once their attention was drawn back to the mist creeping into the dimly lit room, the shadow of the giant becoming clearer through the fog.

"I do hate strangers in my room… come on out and fight me, you cowards."

And his wish was granted with six wolves pouncing on their foe, the majority meeting their fate by the monstrous sword. But the distracting proved effective and the two leaders dove into the mountain of fur and teeth, scrambling over the dog pile and toppling over to the cleared hall. The pair took off, trying to ignore to sound of their team being massacred by Kisame.

His ears folding back to drown out the screams of agony and the echoing sounds of shredding flesh as he pelted full-tilt through the uncharted passageways, never wanting to look back. A low roar began echoing through the halls behind the fleeing pair, and Inuyasha forced himself to glance over his shoulder. Crashing like a beast against the walls of the corridor, there was a great wave of churning water following down the halls after them as if seeking to purge the base of intruders.

_Stay away from the water, or you will drown._

The wolf tribe leader's warning rang in his head again, making adrenaline pour through the hanyou's veins as he kicked himself into high gear.

"Run Ginta!" He shouted, glancing at his comrade with wide eyes, "don't let the water touch you!" As the words left his lips, the wolf demon joined him in the mad dash, both men sprinting as hard as they could trying to escape the oncoming flood. Weaving through the tunnels did no good as every time the path branched, so too did the purging tsunami, filling every hallway and reaching out blindly for the escaping intruders. As fast as he pushed himself, the hanyou still began to feel droplets of water splashing against his heels as the roaring wave closed in.

Somewhere along the line, the pair must have taken a wrong turn and they found themselves squeezing through another narrow passage that ended with a heavy door painted with black, white and vivid green. Like the door to the ninja swordsman this gate too had a kanji printed above the frame, and finding this his only option of escape, Inuyasha slammed against the gate and clawed at the symbol, screeching the word as if begging that it make haste to open.

"Mysterious! Gen!"

The flood crashed over Inuyasha's back, crushing the half demon and his cohort against the entrance. He could barely see through the swirling torrent of dark water for a second before the lamp overhead was completely extinguished by the rising water. The decorative paint on the door took its time shifting, and Inuyasha's lungs screamed for air, but finally the image of a green tangle of roots appeared on a monochrome backdrop and the doorway groaned and slid upwards. The pair was shoved into the room, given only a brief moment to gasp for breath before they were totally washed over by the tsunami that followed. This room too was lit for a moment before the only lanterns was doused by the rushing water, leaving the two again to hold their breath in the darkness and hope for a saving grace.

The half-demon kicked and swam towards what direction he thought was up, only to be met with a tangle of plants which too were submerged. Inuyasha clawed at the mat of vegetation, trying desperately to get past and find air, but no such luck as his limbs only became entangled in the mat of roots and stems. He fought against the impeding greenery feeling the desperation growing in his lungs for a breath of fresh air.

There was a low thump that traveled through the dark torrent, and suddenly, the hanyou's fingers found the coldness of air. The water level receded rapidly, and the silver-haired mutt took in a few deep lungfuls of air. As still the water declined, Inuyasha suddenly realized his own heaviness, the near weightlessness of buoyancy underwater disappearing as he was left stranded, dangling from the thick, clinging plants overhead like a fly in a spider's web. He waited, hoping to hear the sounds of his comrade, and after a good ten or so seconds, he breathed a sigh of relief, hearing Ginta's head break the surface as he choked and gasped for breath.

"Ginta! You alright?" the hanyou called out, and he was answered by a choked "yeah". The water finally drained out of the room leaving the young demon gasping for breath on the floor. Inuyasha had little time to celebrate, still finding the vines wrapped tight around his arms. He struggled but found it not to be a normal tangle; the greenery had twisted itself around his limbs, like they had life to them all their own. The mutt grunted and pulled hard, but suddenly panicked at the distinct feeling of constriction. The creeper squeezed tight around him as he tugged and pulled his still sore arm, and with the confusion he almost lost sight of his half-drowned comrade. He was still curled on the floor, holding his throat in hopes of opening it up for air, but the wolf yokai was unaware of a raised trail in the earth heading straight for him.

"Ginta get UP!" but too late the mole path ended underneath him and he was quickly drug under. The demon screamed and clawed at the dirt, frantically trying to pull himself free, but his desperate yelps turned to painful screams, his attacker invisibly torturing him beneath ground.

But without warning, through the large iron doors came two familiar faces, both littered with scraps and dust form their encounters with the other assassins. Quickly assessing, Kouga and Hakaku jumped to their brothers' aid, pulling hard on his upper body and freeing him from his captor. With his legs exposed they all could see the damaged flesh of his left leg, something having torn and mauled his limb.

_If the ground moves, jump._

Again the door clanged shut, slamming out the only light from the outside and casting the now four into darkness yet again. There was a high, annoying buzzing, first from the upper left hand side of the room, but within a few heartbeats, the sound was radiating from all corners. Inuyasha flattened his ears back to be rid of the sound, continuing his struggle against the vines that still held his limbs tight. The humming grew in volume until light began to flicker into the room, bright, pale lavender and unnatural. The intruders had to flinch away from the four light sources, but as they grew accustomed to the new glare, they began to steal glances in all directions. The light was coming from four long bulbs that hung from chains buried in the mats of plant-life growing on the ceiling. Every inch of the chamber was filled with green, growing thing, including the floors, and the air was heavy with the pheromones of thousands upon thousands of exotic flowers. Many of the vines reached through the air towards the buzzing periwinkle light fixtures, hanging so that they basked in the glow of the bulbs and caught the most attention.

Looking around still more, the wolf demons found the door they had come through to be completely grown over by vegetation; shrubs and vines and creeping roots and almost instantly reached up and covered the barren space.

Suddenly the end of the raised tunnel grew, the wolf demons scrambling away before the occupant ascended to meet them. What broke through the dirt was a giant green mound attached to an Akatsuki cloak. As the legs of the thing began visible, the emerald top split apart, like a giant Venus flytrap, revealing the man beneath. His entire upper body was split in half, the right having basic human features but chalk skin, yellow eyes and acid green hair, and his left… a black black with one round, piercing yellow eye.

"_Well_," the man sneered, "_seems as we have a few dog treats delivered right to our room_." A low rumble emitted from his chest, a sick laughter echoing throughout the space. All of a sudden the amusement stopped, his face going slack. "**That's not funny**."

With a wave of his hand, Kouga silently instructed Hakkaku to care for his brother and keep him out of harm's way. The wolf clan leader stood before the monstrous looking Venus flytrap man, determined not to show fear in the face of even such an imposing enemy. The eye on the white side of the split man's face scanned the three men on his grass carpet, his face remaining entirely stoic as he seemed to read over them individually.

"_Gamely lot, aren't you? Nothing but lean meat and gristle…_"

"**Lucky we just ate…**"

The highest ranking of the yokai even took a pace back when the plant ninja took a step forward as to inspect him further. Kouga gulped, not knowing whether to attack the enemy or to attempt to find an escape.

"Zetsu… you're just as crazy as Itachi said you were…"

"_**We'd like to think so**_." the two halves became whole to address their intruder. "_**Now tell us why you're here. You seem to be creating a lot of trouble for us.**_"

"We're here for Deidara," Inuyasha called out form his trap, the shinobi's attention snatched away from Kouga. "We are willing to leave peacefully if I can just have him back."

"Speak for yourself, dog-shit, these bastards are mowing through my men like-"

"Shut up, Kouga! You are not going to fuck this up for me!"

"_**Why are you here for Deidara?**_" Zetsu pondered.

"Because Itachi is a bastard and isn't good for him," Kouga grumbled. But the Akatsuki member ignored him, still watching the hanyou for his answer.

Inuyasha squirmed in his confinement, but as he glared at the plant man, his movements stopped. It was obvious that he had control of the foliage and wasn't going to release him until his sick game was played.

"I'm here because I need him. He can't stay here and survive. I need to protect him from that bastard Itachi at all costs, and I'm willing to lose my life doing it."

The Akatsuki ninja shifted slightly and suddenly a twisting column of vines sprung up beneath his feet lifting him a good ten feet until his eyes were level with Inuyasha's. Completely stoic, the two halves blinked simultaneously at the trapped hanyou before the white half opened his mouth and spoke.

"_Say we were a deranged, cannibalistic monster… and we demanded a sacrifice… would you offer yourself up to be eaten given the assurance that promptly afterwards Deidara would be set free and separated from Itachi for the rest of his days?_"

Inuyasha's chin tightened, determined to keep his composure.

"Given the guarantee of a happy life for Deidara without him ever having to see the likes of Itachi again… I'd gladly."

The white half died, leaving the black side in control.

"**How romantic.**" The man lowered himself away from his prey, returning to his stand on the ground. With a nod to the hanyou, the vines cringed away, slipping form their tight grasps to allow the man to drop to the floor. Granted his freedom, Inuyasha wearily rose up, careful to watch for any movement around him.

"…Just like that?" he asked.

Zetsu made no move, but sighed after a moment of thick silence.

"…**When one finds themselves with a fleeting opportunity, if one questions it too long, it is gone before it can be granted.**"

The half demon swallowed hard, trying to keep himself from posing another question with regards to his sudden release lest the ninja change his fragile mind. He followed closely behind every step the Akatsuki shinobi took, waiting for some kind of signal. As he neared the overgrown doorway, suddenly the plants and things retracted, peeling backwards as if making way for their master.

"_Don't be at all surprised, Inuyasha… We've been recording you since you entered into our world…_"

"**Not every man is pressed so firmly beneath Itachi's thumb that we may not find opinions against him.**"

"_We cannot help you fight him…_"

"**But we **_**can**_** help you **_**find**_** him…**"

All at once, the ground shifted beneath Zetsu's feet and he sunk into the mud, the earth below making a low groaning as it was pushed out of the ninja's underground path. Inuyasha's ears perked, and he poked his head into the hole the strange shinobi had left in his wake, only for it to seal itself over with roots like sutures before he could follow. Immediately the hanyou was after the burrowing man, following the sound of his subterranean movement while dashing through the damp, slippery corridors of the hideout.


	14. The Last Ring of Hell

Chapter 14

The Last Ring of Hell

The way to the Uchiha's room was long and winding, the screams from fights scattered throughout the complex echoing in the hanyou's ears. He sighed heavily, struggling to keep up with the tunneling cannibal as he dug his way to his comrades' room. Surging forward, Inuyasha finally reached the end of the trail and looked down to its point. Zetsu sprung his torso up and unfolding his encasement.

"So this is Itachi's room," the dog demon grumbled, taking hold of his trusted sword.

"_**Yes, and I believe he is waiting inside… for you, we would presume.**_"

"I'd hope so… thank you."

"_Well good luck. We're rooting for you!"_

"**No we're not."**

The two sides merged into one, smiling viciously at the silver-hair.

"…_**either way, we get a meal out of it.**_"

Inuyasha took in a long breath to assure himself as the plant ninja gave him a wicked grin and retracted himself back into the ground and disappeared completely. The hallway seemed to stretch on forever; the hanyou taking his time making it to the Uchiha's door. He used the interval to solidify his nerves and slowly let his hatred build up. The whole while he walked toward the painted entrance, Inuyasha reminded himself of all Itachi had done to wrong him. From the moment he had first met Deidara, the raven-haired man had been nothing but cruel to him, beating the younger man even while downed, even as the artist didn't fight back. The hated enemy had burned his home to nothing but ash; the product of his many hours of labor and devotion, decimated in a matter of minutes. He had seen the agony in the eyes of his lover just after the Uchiha had unleashed hell in the younger man's mind, and then he had the gall to turn around and do the same to the hanyou. If that wasn't enough, Itachi had taken advantage of his moment of greatest weakness, broken his body and left him to his fate, and taken his lover without Inuyasha being able to so much as fight back.

By the time he had reached the intricately painted gate, the half demon was practically seething with anger, gritting his teeth and gripping his blade if only to stay off his own fury from causing him to transmogrify into his demonic form. When he finally came face to face with the swirling design of red, black and white ornate spirals, his claws scraped angrily over the 'scarlet' kanji just over the doorframe, growling its name deep in his throat.

"_Shu_."

Like all the doors before it, the intricately painted designs merged and rearranged, the white moving to one side while the black was on the other the two colors forming a zigzag pattern. The red paints spun in a large swirl in the dead center until splitting off into four parts, three blazing comet shapes spiraling over a flaming central wheel. With a low click, the entrance unlocked and slid up slowly.

Leaving any sign of weakness behind him, he entered the void, the light from the hall lighting only the patch of earth he stood on. Looking around, he could find nothing, not even with his demon senses could he detect any movement in the emptiness. Inuyasha settled on the obvious choice of a ambush and stepped again, placing himself out of the shelter of light. As his back disappeared into the dark, the door swung shut and clicked loudly, leaving the hybrid to merely listen for his enemy.

Enough to make him jump, a lantern right above ignited and bathed the room in a warm red glow. Expecting an immediate attack, Inuyasha's hands sprung to life and unleashed the mighty fang, holding it before him to block anything the raven-hair had already begun throwing at him. But to his surprise there came no trap. With time to process, he surveyed the room and found it strangely bare. In the far off right corner was a darkened door, but it was ignored as he focused in on the only item placed in the chamber; a large, looming throne placed at the back of the large space. With the light of the lamp not quite reaching the cathedra, he almost missed the large mass that slung itself across the arms and seat.

"I almost had lost faith in you. I thought the thief of my little kintori would not come to claim his spoils. But I can hear by the sounds of dying wolves that you couldn't bear coming here alone. You had to load yourself up with protection, less I break you down again."

Inuyasha squared his jaw but didn't back down, reaffirming his grip on the hilt of his massive blade and narrowing his eyes at the shadowed figure. Slowly the hanyou's vision began to adjust to the dim lighting and Itachi gradually came into view. He lay across his seat of power with his legs hanging off of one arm of the chair and his elbow resting against the opposite to prop up his head as if he had been growing terribly bored waiting for the hanyou to show his face.

"I suppose I'll have to let Zetsu have your body when I've finished with you… he did such a good job delivering you to me."

"It makes sense that you would be in the furthest room in the tunnel, weasel. It's just too bad you had your team do you dirty work for you. Couldn't come and face me yourself?"

"I could say the same to you, cur. Having Kouga and his pack fend off my comrades seems just as bad… but no. They do as they please, only defending their home from such filth. But now that you're here, we can put an end to this. I'm growing tired of this little game, and I plan on ending this so I can go back to my little pet. He must be so hungry by now…" the shinobi snickered.

With the thought of his tortured lover fresh in his mind, Inuyasha engaged their battle, sending out his Wind Scar to cascade into the dark throne, tearing it apart with the occupant still seated. As the waves of energy sliced through the presumed body of Itachi, the seat exploded into splinters and crows and flew in every direction.

There was a fluttering of feathers behind him and just as Inuyasha turned to see his enemy, the Uchiha had his fingers around the back of his opponent's neck, filling the half demon's spinal column wilt electricity. When Inuyasha yelped and stiffened, the current paralyzing him while it pulsed through his muscles, Itachi took the opportunity to lean close to the half breed's pointed ear with a smirk on his lips.

"You beasts are so predictable… why don't you dig up a scrap of intelligence and give me a little fun in killing you?" With that the raven haired man cast his victim aside, letting him scramble to catch himself as he finally regained movement of his muscles. With half of his face hidden behind the high collar of his cloak, Itachi stared down at his enemy with his blood-red eyes for an instant as his hands leaped into a string of hand seals.

Suddenly, there was a ring of identical men surrounding Inuyasha. Itachi was everywhere, all around him, like he was trapped in some sick hall of mirrors. The Itachi's simply stared down their noses at him with condescension, speaking one at a time to mock him as they were able.

"I wonder what it is that makes you chase after him."

"What could you see in him worth saving?"

"Deidara is a whore."

"Still, a whore is too good for filthy pye-dog like you."

"Someone ought to put you down."

As the hanyou spun to glare at each copy, he took swings at them, passing through each one without destroying them. Every clone chuckled menacingly, deriding him as his attempts at finding the true Uchiha failed. Finally the frustration ran out and the hybrid quickly figured out his attack was ineffective, leaving him wide open for the real threat to strike. Letting the edge of the Tetsusaiga prop into the ground, he turned his ears out and listened to the echoes about the room. The clones' continued their taunting, but in the background he could hear the movement of another entity, pinpointing his actual target. Pulling up his sword in full force, he sliced through another clone, only to miss the real raven-hair stalking behind him. Itachi quickly abandoned the jutsu, letting his mirages faded into nothing as he escaped to the other side of the chamber.

"What's the matter, you bastard? You keep hiding behind your smoke and magic… Why can't you fight me hand to hand?" Inuyasha sneered.

"You're not good enough to fight me in close quarters. You're a pest, an annoyance that needs to be erased before I lose my patience."

"Then why don't we just end this!" The hanyou was growing tired all around, wanting so bad to drop his sword and race right up to his opponent, taking him out with his own hands.

"For once I agree… this little joke has ceased to be amusing." Itachi slowed his retreat, coming to rest in the spot of his once proud throne. "It's time to end this- to end you."

A few more hand signs and Itachi raised his palms as if barring the movement of the other man. Out of the air around him upwards of thirty jet-black pikes materialized all around him, each facing its cruel point towards the hanyou. Closing his hands, the ninja let the weapons fly like a barrage of arrows being shot off at close range. Swing his mighty blade, Inuyasha managed to avoid being hit by all but one glancing blow on his left shoulder, but by the time he realized his stunning escape, it was too late to react. Itachi launched himself forward, suddenly meeting the hanyou with his chakra-fueled katana, grinding the blade of his own weapon against his opponent's until the half demon took a pace backwards. Leaning his face in until their noses nearly touched, Itachi focused his blood-red gaze on Inuyasha's for a moment making his enemy feel the presence of the ninja invading his mind without so much as enacting the genjusts. The simple look, eye-to-eye, was enough to stiff that feeling in the hanyou's gut and force him to slam his eyes shut.

But it was the action Itachi had hoped for, frightening him into cutting off his vision long enough for him to pull out his hidden weapon. Tucked into his sleeve he held a kunai and swiftly he drug it across the mutt's exposed throat, bringing forth scarlet to the cut.

The pair dropped to the floor and Inuyasha panicked, holding his wound enough to collect blood in his hand. Bringing it out to his face, the amount assured him of its shallowness, making him smirk.

"Gonna have to cut deeper to-"

The small dagger being driven through his left hand and into the earth quickly silenced him.

Itachi cleared back with his victim pinned in place and prepared his final blow; his specialty was worth using on the demon spawn that thought himself good enough to challenge him. If not for anything, the Uchiha wished to prove himself to himself, displaying once more how truly powerful he was and how no creature stood to test him.

Inuyasha abandoned his flesh wound and moaned in pain, in vain trying to pull his hand up around the kunai and only managing to hurt himself more. He struggled with a few more seconds before the surge of energy concentrated towards the back of the room, drawing his attention to the dark shinobi.

The Uchiha's keke genkai were trained on his pinned enemy, as the Mangekyo Sharingan again activated its latent power. Inuyasha's heart sunk suddenly in his chest; there was a different feel about this than the time the raven-haired man had used the Tsukuyomi, his torturous genjutsu. No, this was an entirely different entity as the very energy from Itachi's core began to ripple off of his body in ever stronger and ever more solid waves. The shinobi's chakras gradually came into visibility, appearing as a red-orange haze that drifted around him like burning gossamer.

Inuyasha yanked furiously at his wrist, squeezing more blood from his palm as the kunai refused to budge from the floor. With the power surging around his foe, he was determined to strike the finishing blow before whatever attack the Uchiha was creating came to fruition. With one final tug at the butt of the dagger, he managed to free himself and remove it from his hand, splattering his blood across the ground like a battle line; crossing it would mean drawing a close to the long drawn out conflict, one of them emerging the victory and earning the right of Deidara.

That was what this was about. Deidara. Inuyasha in shame had almost forgotten. In the heat of battle he had lost his purpose, falling into the motions of his fights and only focusing on his violent goal. With all of his mind and heart centered on defeating his enemy, he had mislaid the will to protect his mate. With the adversary gone, there was little to protect the blonde from, and that had blinded him.

With a renewed hope of a life with Deidara, replacing the vision of a world without Itachi, he threw the bloody dart to stick beside his foot and crouched low, pulling all he had into his legs and launch directly without his sword at the empowered ninja.

Even as they forged his greatest attack, Itachi's eyes saw the attack, but all too late; his pupils dilating only after he realized the hanyou had launched himself forward. For an instant, the raven-haired man found himself vulnerable. With his Sharingan occupied, the keke genkai could not be used to see the actions of his enemy as they happened. For a heartbeat, Inuyasha plunged into the swirling mass of chakras, diving into the unnatural flames and smoke that pulsed from the Uchiha, and for a second, everything burned like he had been cast into the fires of hell. The air slowed him down as if he was pitching into a semi-solid manifested from the energies of his foe, but still he reached his goal.

Reacting to the motion rather than predicting it, Itachi took a step backwards and arched his back, keeping his precious eyes away from the outstretched claws of the hanyou. Still the half demon came barreling forward, through the burning, solidifying chakra, reaching for the left eye which had tortured him, seeking out the tiniest scrap of vengeance to pull away from his victory. Inuyasha's razor sharp talons reached to skewer the shinobi's eye, to pluck it completely from its socket and put it out forever. He almost couldn't believe the feeling as the nail of his longest finger met soft tissue, digging in and coming back wet and bloody.

Itachi screeched and clutched his wounded left eye, retreating a few paces from his enemy to nurse the injury and assess the damage. All the while, Inuyasha was feeling a heaviness all around him in place of the burning where once the flames of the ninja's fire release chakras had licked at his pelt. Around him, the energies that had once been forming into a burning being around the skilled assassin suddenly lost their strength and decayed into a useless gelatin-like substance which rapidly lost its shape and collapsed onto the ground where it sizzled and evaporated. Without both eyes, the activation of the third level Mangekyo Sharingan technique to summon the Susanoo could no longer be completed, leaving the half-manifested behemoth to vanish like a nightmare.

Before the demon beneath rose to have his way with the wounded nin, Inuyasha retreated back to his sword, holding it close and watching his challenger wither until he knelt inside his dying waves of energy. The large mass had already dissipated, but still there was a power that surrounded the injured Uchiha, ebbing at a low frequency. Taking his space between them into effect, Inuyasha swallowed a growing moister, letting whatever happened next come in its own time.

"So, you are human after all. What are you going to do now, weasel? Don't tell me you're useless now."

Still cupping his palm over his leaking, bleeding eye, the raven let his breath heave heavily from his chest before he slowly looked up to lay his gaze on the hanyou. The silver-haired man locked his jaw for a moment and tightened his grip on the hilt of his father's fang. The ninja's one remaining eye was still bright red, his keke genkai still activated and radiating energy on a pulse like the slow beat of Itachi's heart. The look in that one red orb was one of pure, burning, seething hatred.

"You shall not have Deidara" the Akatsuki ninja hissed through gritted teeth. "I will burn down the entire world before I give him up… that man is _MINE_!" Though the Uchiha seemed as if he was on his last, wavering leg, still he found the stamina to stand, and before the half demon could so much as retort, ominous black flames began to lick at the ground before Itachi's feet. The dark, crackling waves spread through stone like wildfire, leaping after Inuyasha as the shinobi began to turn his gaze in the direction of his foe.

Quickly Inuyasha curled himself in a ball, sweeping his arm over his head to let his sleeve drape over his exposed head. As expected, the heat engulfed his body, but nothing touched his bare flesh, leaving him to wait out the attack. But as the fire continued to swathe over him, the sudden heat turned for the worse, a feeling he had never dealt with. It seemed as the fire was in fact eating away at his armor, and a new plan formed in his mind.

Keeping his cloth between him and the blaze, Inuyasha jumped up and dashed out of the path of Itachi's eye. Like the spray of a hose, Inuyasha ran ahead of Itachi's line of sight, the jet-black blaze following close behind him, licking his back and heels.

Itachi hissed furiously, trying desperately to hold the dodging hanyou in his gaze for long enough to burn away his armor and catch his flesh in the ever-consuming jet fire. Finally as the hanyou reached the far wall and was forced to change directions, the shinobi caught his victim in the flames of his jutsu, and for a second of sheer terror, the obsidian blaze completely engulfed Inuyasha. The silver-haired man was forced to retract his vulnerable body into the protection of his Fire Rat robes. He counted the seconds while the burning ninjutsu swallowed him whole and chipped away at his powerful robes, but before he could find a second escape, the heat altogether died away.

Daring to peek out from beneath his barrier, Inuyasha found the flames had cleared away aside from the few fires that still clung to the walls and floors while Itachi laid, collapsed face down. By the quiet rising and falling of his chest, the hanyou could tell that the man lived on, but his energy was entirely depleted, leaving him in a state of unconscious backup, the rest of him being totally shut down.

He took his time nearing his fallen enemy, making sure that every movement was that of simple breathing, not letting any more assaults catch him by surprise. But as his foot was in range of Itachi's hand, there came no move to harm him, even to touch him, and he was assured that the man was down for good. Inuyasha took a knee and leaned his face close to the exposed ear of the shinobi.

"I hope you're still alive, you bastard, 'cause I will only say this once... I'm taking Deidara far from here. If you know what's best for you, you will never rise from this ground, and you will lie here and eventually die here." When there came no reply, the hybrid stood, taking a deep whiff of the acrid air. Even through the smoke and stink of their battle past, Inuyasha caught his lover's scent, sweet and fleeting. He searched out its source until it led him to an unseen passage, and he took one last look at Itachi before he quitted the scene, satisfied for the moment.

Following the nearly stale scent trail of his mate like a razor thin wisp of musk, Inuyasha made haste, following the very route his lover had been taken on. Through dimly lit passageways, the lanterns became farther and farther spaced apart, shedding less and less light on his path. Taking a quick turn, the half demon followed the smell of his companion down a long, narrow flight of stairs finally coming into a long, wide open room lined with solid iron doors on all sides. Inuyasha swallowed hard, already not liking the looks of the place; it was like a dungeon without bars so that there was no light, no access to fresh air… everything about it was stagnant. Regaining his mission, the mutt carefully followed the paper-thin trail of Deidara's scent up to the seventh door on the left, knowing that his man was on the other side.

The hanyou had to swallow the bile that threatened to rise up in his throat as his mind suddenly flew through all of the possible scenarios. It had been four days since his lover had been taken away… for all Inuyasha knew he could find the broken corpse of the ninja past that door; he could have been tortured to the point of insanity. What if the days of torment had shattered the shinobi's mind? What if that which made the blonde _Deidara_ was completely gone? Could the half demon face that reality? What would he do with the crazed man?

'_No._' Inuyasha told himself resolutely. '_Whatever waits for me inside this dungeon, I will not return without Deidara, whether he be in one piece, dead or insane, I will not leave him here._' Solidifying his resolution, the silver-haired man took a firm hold of the rotating handle of the door, pushing on the locked lever until it gave way and broke the cogs inside with a low clunk. With the only obstacle out of the way, Inuyasha gave the door a gentle shove, causing it to moan loudly on its hinges as it swung open to reveal a long staircase down. He took his time making his way down the steps, being sure of his footing as the further he descended into the dungeon, the colder and moister the air became. When finally he reached the bottom of the stairs, a light flickered on overhead; a puny bulb on a very high ceiling that barely managed to shed its light on the man below.

As his demonic eyes even took their time to adjust to the lighting, Inuyasha scanned the room finding it totally empty save for one withered skeleton chained to the far wall directly in front of him. Still his pupils dilated to make the most of what little light there was, making his heart sink. Bound in shackles that locked his wrists and throat to the stone behind him, Deidara lay slumped against the wall. He was so emaciated, his body feeling the deteriorating effects of muscle wasting, that even his own lover had mistaken him for a dried corpse. Still the blonde did not move, his head hanging bowed and his dulled hair making a withered curtain around his sunken face.

Inuyasha instantly felt himself rot away, looking as if he had lost yet another lover to fate. Still he made his way hurriedly to the blonde, collapsing to the floor before him and taking his gaunt face in his palms.

"…K-kid- my god kid… sp-speak to me, kid… please, I'm b-begging you… please kid…" his voice was strained and filled with terror, devastated at the fact that he might have arrived too late.

For an agonizingly long moment, there came no reaction from the wilted man, but just barely, Inuyasha could see his ribs barely expanding and contracting beneath the shredded shirt that barely clung to Deidara's body. Hope all at once sprung into Inuyasha's chest, and after a moment more of silence, the ninja's gaunt eyes opened if just barely meeting the eyes of his mate for the first time in what felt like an eternity. The younger man's dry, cracked lips twitched as if he was trying desperately to speak, but the act in and of itself was terribly difficult or painful. Finally the blonde found the power to overcome the obstacle and let his lover hear the sound of his voice, no matter how rough and hollow it was.

"… _Don't… you dare touch me… you fucking animal un…_"

The left hand of the hanyou retracted, leaving behind a glob of blood on sharp chin of his lover. But even with a shaky hand, he kept his dim optimism alight, bringing his forehead to rest against the ninja's.

"_No, kid… it-it's me… It's me kid… I'm here to take you home, back home with me. It's me, Dei…_"

But Deidara's face remain unchanged, the idea of a picturesque rescue beaten out of his hopes with three days of torture.

"…_I'm tired of… this fucking game…Itachi…I'm tired…I'm so tired…just… leave me…_"

"_No kid no! It's me, I swear! Please kid, I'm here and I'm taking you home… Kid, please, Dei… It's m-me._"

Shuddering, the abused man closed his eyes in a motion that made Inuyasha wonder if he was about to cry, but instead he went totally still, lacking the energy to break down any further.

"_You're lying un… Inuyasha… is dead... don't you think… I would have gotten… that much? He's dead… or else he would have come for me… a long time ago un…_"

"…_I'm…I'm sorry… god I'm so… so sorry…_" At this point the guilt had laid itself heavily on Inuyasha, stinging his eyes and making his throat close up. "_…I should have come sooner, I should have come sooner… I just… I just wasn't st-strong enough. I'm sorry… but I'm here now, I'm right here! Please kid…. What… what can I say, kid? What do you want me to say? I… I will take you away from here… please… Kid, it's me…_"

The ninja's eyes looked up yet again, the whites turning pink and clearly burning as his dehydrated body failed to make tears as his mind willed his ducts to cry. The look Deidara gave to his lover was nearly heart-breaking; it was defiant, untrusting and hurt. The look was as if Deidara was giving the hanyou was almost a glare that told the elder man that his mate was beginning to grow angry that he insisted on his own identity.

"_If you are Inuyasha… then you will know… the last thing… that he said… to me un…_"

The hybrid's mind snapped back to his last words and scrambled to recall them. With a stone in his heart, the wariest of smiles flickered in the silver-hairs' lips.

"_I… I lied to you. I lied, didn't I? I… I promised I'd be back soon… without a scratch. I lied to you…. I'm sorry, kid. I'm sorry, Deidara._"

There was a long, heavy silence as Inuyasha fought back the urge to simply break down in tears, knowing that as strong as he was, he still hadn't been able to keep a simple promise, and as such, his mate had been through hell. All at once it seemed as if Deidara slumped further against the wall, letting out a long, deep breath and finally raising his face to look head-on at his rescuer.

"_Inuyasha un…_" he rasped, his withered lips turning up the tiniest bit in a feeble attempt at a smile.

With the softest of touches, the dog demon pressed his lips to the cracked ones of his lover, careful not to push enough to goad the fragile state of the shinobi. He took his fingers to the boney cheek, sweeping away strands of oily, dirty hair and catch Deidara's attention, it fleeting in his tortured state.

"_Dei... kid I need you t-to listen, ok… I need… I need you to stay still, very still. I need to cut you loose... I don't want to hurt you, ok?_"

"… _I don't… think you could…. un… I'm so hurt… you can't hurt me… Inu-kun…_"Holding his mate's head, Inuyasha swiftly cut through the iron, his claws tearing the metal to ribbons miraculously without touching flesh. With the restraints cast away, the minimal weight holding Deidara together was too much, and he fell forward into the hanyou's awaiting arms.

He trembled for a moment and let out a quiet whine of protest as suddenly the younger man could feel the horrible sores left on his hips, back, neck, wrists and any other part of his body that had been stuck against something. His raw skin, feeling air for the first time in days, burned and gave him even more pain, but still he had not the energy to do a single thing about it.

"_Inu… would you… h-happen to have… a drink of water un?... Even just a… a mouthful un?_"

"_No kid… but I can take you home- I'll take you home right now and you can have all the water and food and whatever you want._"

"… _Can I sleep with… you un? I just… want to sleep… but I'm cold…_"

"_Of course kid,_" the hybrid smiled through his hushed words, "_I'll do whatever you want… can we move? I got… it have to pick you up to leave._"

With that, Deidara let himself give up on the struggle to keep up a discussion with his mate, instead letting his neck go entirely limp and rest on the hanyou's broad shoulder. Accepting the action as his lover's consent, Inuyasha scooped his arms underneath the younger man's legs and carried him like a tired child, allowing the abused man to wrap his arms comfortably around the half demon's shoulders. There was a deep qualm in the pit of the elder man's stomach as he lifted his mate, finding how sickeningly light the emaciated blonde was. On the other hand, the loss of weight made Deidara much easier to carry back up the stairs, out of the dank, stale dungeon. Once out of the prison, Inuyasha began to make haste yet again, not wanting his way to be barred as he retreated from the shinobi's base with his prize.

Trying to hold his mate steady, the hanyou dashed through the halls, retracing his steps to find his way out of the labyrinth. The lanterns could hardly keep up with him, flicking on only to shut off again as he passed by. Finally the hazy outline of the curved stairwell came into view, but to Inuyasha's utter dismay, there was a cloaked man standing in his path. Inuyasha skidded to a halt not five meters from the man, finding that his expression was impossible to read because of the orange swirled mask that covered his face and left eye. He was clearly very young and had his arms spread so as to keep the hanyou from passing by him.

"Tobi cannot let you take senpai away! Tobi is good; Tobi knows you will not bring senpai back! Tobi cannot let you leave!"

Inuyasha's temper flashed again, not having the strength to deal with another ninja that stood in his way.

"I swear if you don't move you bastard I will rip apart whatever face you have behind that fucking mask- now move!" With his sword secure firmly to his side, the silver-hair let his anger flare, knowing he wouldn't lose himself to his demon side.

"Tobi is under strict orders from Uchiha-san not to allow senpai to leave the base. Tobi will not betray his word. Tobi will not allow you to pass!"

Inuyasha growled low in his throat, but there was a quiet sound of protest from the bundle in his arms. Deidara rolled slightly in his lover's grasp to look at the masked Akatsuki, giving the fellow ninja an exhausted look of disappointment and longing, as if his eyes were begging Tobi to let them through.

"_Tobi-kun… you must let Inuyasha… and senpai through un… Leader-sama's orders un… Leader-sama outranks Itachi… you have to let… senpai leave un._"

The man with the swirled orange mask visibly deflated, his duties being snatched from beneath him like a rug.

"Tobi wonders… will senpai be back soon?"

"_No… Senpai is not coming back un… Senpai is retiring from Akatsuki forever…_"

"Will Tobi ever see senpai again?"

"_No Tobi… you will never see me again un…_"

"… Tobi will miss senpai…"

"_Senpai needs to leave now Tobi… let us through un…_"

The Akatsuki ninja nodded his head slowly and dejectedly, stepping out of the way, allowing the hanyou to pass with the emaciated man in his arms.

Stepping past, Inuyasha made his way to the top of the flight, stopping for a brief second. He spun around and leaned in, letting his voice echo through the passageway for all to hear.

"**I have Deidara! We're moving out!**" With that he left, pulling his lover closer to his chest and made his way out of the complex. Once outside, the night air hit the both of them. Deidara's already thin frame shook in the mutt's arms, and the elder did his best to drape his sleeves over the pale, exposed skin.

Within a few moments, Inuyasha was being flanked on all sides by the remaining members of the wounded party including the leader and his two favored grunts. Though the numbers of the tribe's warriors had been greatly depleted, Kouga was still calling to his clansmen for a victorious retreat. With his comrades following behind him quickly and his lover tucked close to his chest, Inuyasha couldn't help but allow a bitter smile to cross his lips, telling himself over and over that everything would turn out for the better.

The army poured through the thicket on their way to the ancient well and followed the half demon to the magical passageway without a moment's hesitation. The silver-haired hanyou clutched the thin frame of his prize to his chest as if fearing that the younger man might disappear altogether if he held on too loosely.

But as his grasp hardened, he could hear even over the rush of leaves as they escaped the pained mews of the blonde. Taking a worried look to the artist's face that was tucked into his pectorals, he could see his eyes scrunched tight even with his depleted strength. Breaking through the brush, the yokai leapt on past and into the ancient well, leaving Inuyasha and Deidara alone. He took his time and unfolded the near cadaver in his arms to let him breathe and rest his tired muscles. In an effort to soothe, the hanyou placed a soft kiss over the bomber's brow, and when he leaned back found his eyes closed peacefully. Reassured by the serene breathing, Inuyasha left him to sleep and readjusted his grip, stepping up to the wooden lip of the portal and falling in, back to his home…. Their home.


	15. Closure

Chapter 15

Closure

On the home side of the Bone Eater's Well, Inuyasha and his mate separated paths kindly with the wolf tribe, leaving Kouga and his men to carry their injured and dead back to the mountains to be tended or buried respectively. Though the mission had thinned the ranks of the yokai's forces, there was no bitterness in their parting, Inuyasha being left with a friendly pat on his shoulder. Dawn was just breaking and spilling its pastel hues across the grey twilight when Inuyasha finally carried his bundle home to Kaede's hut. In his exhausted state, the blonde had simply slipped off into sleep wrapped in the arms of the man he cared for most.

The pair had been ushered in quickly by the elderly miko who had stayed up through the night waiting to receive them both and care for their injuries. Being in the worst shape, Deidara was seen to first, his tired body roused from its slumbers if only to give him cool-fresh water in small sips at a time to rehydrate him. The sores on his body were treated with herbal salves and he was fed a supplementary gruel made mostly of rice for carbohydrates and fat to restore his lost energy. When the young man had swallowed his fill, been wrapped in blankets and laid by the fire to rest, Kaede then turned to Inuyasha, quickly bandaging his already healing palm.

When he too had been serviced, the hanyou curled up to the side of his silently sleeping mate, relishing in the quiet sounds of his breathing and heartbeat. The smallest sliver of a smile crept across his lips as he thought back to how Deidara had insisted on sleeping near him if only to hear his breathing. With a soft hum in the back of his throat, Inuyasha allowed himself to agree with the other man, knowing now that it would be very difficult for him to sleep without the gentle sounds of his mate sleeping beside him.

On the fourth day of the shinobi's slow recovery, two men, hand in hand with one leading the other tenderly, occupied the old walked path to the Bone Eater's Well. Even with heavy care from the hanyou and miko, it was a rough road to full health for Deidara, and Kaede had insisted that Inuyasha take him out again to rebuild his strength. Holding out his arm, the hybrid had let his mate lean hard on him, the artist not quite having used his legs much in the past few days.

"Well I'm glad you're not falling over anymore," Inuyasha snickered as he pushed a loose branch aside for them to pass. "I'm kidding… you don't have to let go if you don't want."

"Oh, I wasn't planning on it un," the blonde chuckled back.

With Kaede's medicine working its wonders, the painful sores that had riddled Deidara's skin were healing well; being naught more than pink welts and scabs for the most part. Though still weak, his muscles were beginning to regain shape with physical therapy administered by the elder priestess. His nutrient, fat and carbohydrate rich diet had caused a drastic upturn in the ninja's general wellness and weight in a good way. The walk to the well was one of many increasingly long strolls meant to redefine the muscles in the blonde man's legs. Eventually , once his body had healed a great deal more Deidara would resume training and hopefully bring his body back to top form as it had been.

"So… what now un?"

"Well I figure we'll get to the well and then back for-"

"No Inuyasha un… I mean what… what _now_?"

The elders' ears perked curiously.

"Mmm what do you mean?"

"I mean… I'm going to stay with you, right un?"

The half-breed smiled the thought off. After all they had been through he had thought it didn't need to be said, but up until that point… it hadn't been. They hadn't really made a plan after all as said and done. With the last few weeks rolling by so quickly with emotions running sporadically, there had never been a time to lay things out orderly.

"That... that was what I was thinking, Dei. I mean before you said you'd live around here, but I figure if we're… you know, together, it would make more sense if we'd live together."

"Aw Inuyasha hm," the ninja smiled, pressing his body slightly more into his lovers'. "Ok, so now that that's settled un… where are we going to live?"

The new problem caught Inuyasha off guard, the events having swept away the memory of his destroyed house. He muttled around with the thought, having no true idea what he'd to with the two of them. There was an obvious end answer in his mind, but the 'until then' was what he had problems figuring out.

"I think the old bat will house us for a little while, just until you're really on your feet…"

"…and then un?"

"And then… we can rebuild."

Deidara suddenly beamed at the other man, giving the supporting hand a feeble squeeze with his frail hand before craning his neck and pecking the hanyou softly on the cheek. With a warm chuckle in the back of his throat, Deidara played for a moment, reaching his neck farther and farther until he finally found the other man's lips with his own.

"I guess I'd better bulk up fast then un… we've got lots of work to do before autumn sets in un… Because you know we don't want to be scrambling to finish before winter buries us in snow un." With a tender smile on his lips, the younger man leaned his head against his lover's shoulder and gave a contented sigh as he allowed his mind to drift to thoughts of the future for a moment. "Also un… I'm really glad you're so good to kiss un… I don't know if I'd be able to live with you if you weren't so… so kissable un."

Laughing off the joke shyly, Inuyasha continued down the path to the portal and letting the plans they were making settle in. A life, a real life, being talked out and put into motion. This was what it was supposed to be like.

Suddenly they knew they had reached their in, the moldy wood of the well in sight. Even with no signs of life coming through the tunnel since they had returned, the hanyou still took his time clearing the area, not favoring another surprise attack from the Uchiha. But all was still, and they took a break and rested on the edge of frame.

"So I was wanting to talk to you about this un, but I wanted to wait 'til I was up and about and feeling better un. What are we going to do about this hm?" he leaned back in gesturing to the mystic passageway. "I figured we can't just leave this open un."

"No, I figured I can seal it off… right after I take care of something."

"Take care of something un?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha smirked. "I gave that bastard a few days to lick his wounds, and when you're all better, I'm going back and finishing the job."

The younger man stared down the dark abyss blankly for what felt like a very long while before shaking his head slowly and grunting as if in disappointment.

"I don't think you ought to un… I mean… you really should seal the well and leave him be un…" Picking anxiously at the flaking wood, Deidara glanced up at his lover with his lips twisted in a curious look; neither a frown nor a smile. "I know you're better than that un… You gave him what he deserves, but you still came out ahead… I just think… you're better than that un. You're above him, Inuyasha, so don't go stooping to his level." The blonde looked away, turning his gaze out across the clearing and itching absently at his clavicle. "I just figure, this is my second chance, and I'm going to get it right this time un. But that means I've got to get it _all_ right, which includes making sure that _you_ get it right too, Inu-kun."

The hanyou dug his claws into the grain of the well, refusing to hear his partner's words.

"Deidara, ever since I had my standoff with him, all I've been thinking about was you. I told myself that nothing else mattered, and that's the only reason I didn't kill him right there and then. I told myself once you were safe and healthy and there was no possible way you were in danger… I'd settle with him. I hate him. I truly hate that bastard, and I want to see him dead."

There was a quiet pause while the two men looked in opposite directions, Inuyasha glaring down the well and Deidara gazing solemnly towards the treetops. Suddenly the bent-up hostility seemed to diminish slightly as the hanyou found his knuckles covered by the warm palm of his mate. The blonde man closed his eyes and leaned his head against the other man's shoulder, simply holding the closeness as a way to calm them both.

"Inuyasha un… you need to listen and do as I say and you will be thankful in the long run. Do not seek out Itachi un. Whether he deserves to die or whether the world would be better off without him plays no role in the matter, you are not the one to pass judgment. Fate and time will give Itachi his punishment un, for now all we can do is shut him out and let destiny run its course un."

The words hit his ears and sunk in, even if he didn't like what the he was hearing. The fact of the matter was… he was right. No amount of carnage could make things better. I could make him feel better, he was certain, but for some reason Deidara didn't want the man dead. Now with all that had transpired, the hybrid was convinced that it wasn't for any amount of love for Itachi, but for some reason to better himself. All in all Inuyasha simply wanted there to be no possible way for the Uchiha to harm his lover ever again, and with death it was guaranteed… but if Deidara was certain this would solve the problem, that was good enough for him

"When did you get all deep?"

"I had to do something with myself in the dark by myself un… that and eat my shirt un."

"Hm…I wondered why you had that hole in your shirt."

Deidara finally turned to look up at the half demon and gave him a sideways kind of smile and squeezed his hand affectionately.

"Page number one in the _'How to be a Ninja' _handbook… if you're trapped and starving to death, eat your shirt first un." With that the blonde man chuckled and prodded his lover gently with his nose as if asking for his attention without using his words.

Inuyasha didn't catch on until the blonde's lips were temptingly hovering over his, in which he couldn't suppress his smile and leaned in the rest of the way. Since his recovery, the lips of the younger man had grown back to their lovely plumpness and warmth, making sparks set off all along the mutt's spinal cord. He gently raised a hand to capture the softened chin, ticking the knot in his bandage over his flesh. The effortless touches were all that were needed, and simple contact was enough to send their hearts a flutter like their first kiss had. For as long as the breeze blew past the pair their mouths remained together, holding on to their connection for as long as the other could stand.

When finally their lips separated, Deidara rested his forehead against that of the half demon, looking him softly in the eye and smiling. Without moving so much, the blonde man traced one hand over his lover's smooth cheek while he combed the other through his silver tresses and sighed dreamily. For a long while he simply stared into the kind, golden eyes of his mate as of calmly trying to find the trick to a perplexing puzzle. Blinking slowly, the ninja finally tilted his head to the side and absently tossed his bangs out of his face.

"What is it about you, Inuyasha, that makes me fall so in love with you so quickly un?"

"I wouldn't have the slightest idea."

There were cute smirks and chuckles passed and then they fell back into comfortable silence. With his mate secured happily next to him, Inuyasha let his mind finally fall back into the pile of uncertainties and decisions he had pushed back into his mind for a quieter time. Here he had this wonderful man tucked neatly under his arm… and he couldn't for the life of him remember why. Since the day they had met, the hanyou had felt and seen the strange attraction the young man had for him, and after a few days he could feel… the pull. He could feel something he hadn't felt for a while towards someone he had just met. In his mind it wasn't the issue. He still was trying to understand why he had fought so hard for this stranger.

Throughout his long life, Inuyasha looked out for Inuyasha. His mother had tried to protect him from the worlds' harsh tongue, but with her death he was left to grow up quickly or die. The only one he could ever trust was himself for as long as he could remember, that is until Kikyo. Slowly but surely had learned to love, and miraculously they reached a point where they decided to share their lives. But fate snatched his lover away and left him to sleep for eternity. And then a 20th century schoolgirl came along. Right off the bat he was not interested, and with the return of the priestess she was shoved further from his sight, his obsession of Kikyo blinding him all else. And that had almost been the kiss of death. But with the strength inside Kagome, she had held out, even through all of the struggles to get back his first love, and eventually when all was over, she was standing there with open arms. Inuyasha knew it had been the best thing in his life, meeting Kagome. She had taught him to be a better person, a better man, and how to love strong and move on. But just as their love had begun, fate again snatched his changes away.

Maybe that was why he had given Deidara a chance. As the hopes of Kagome dwindled every month, every day, here came a man to save his life. If he held onto Kagome like his had Kikyo… he could very well miss what was right in front of him.

"Hey kid," the silver-hair mumbled.

"Hm?"

"Can I… I need to tell you something."

Deidara raised his head from the elder's shoulder and brightened his eyes, hearing the seriousness in Inuyasha's words. He wrapped his rough hands around the artist's hands and took his time raising his eyes to meet the others'.

"Just gimme a second…" the hanyou swallowed. He knew he had to say it. It wasn't a question, but rounding up enough courage was making his fingers tremble around Deidara's hands. But with a deep breath he looked up and locked eyes with hi new lover.

"I don't really say stuff like this… I don't really open up or whatever, cause I'm just not touchy-feely like that, so when I say stuff, it means something."

The shinobi's heart was going a mile a minute, feeling the pressure of the moment overwhelm his system. What was he saying? Was this truly happening? His bit his lip in anticipation, watching Inuyasha's lips form into the words he had wanted to hear all along.

"I…I love you… Deidara. I love you."

There was a time during which the hanyou looked upon the face of his mate, seeing the younger man's cerulean eyes swim with admiration, affection and deep, burning love. Though his strength still wasn't at its fullest, Deidara didn't waste much time wrapping his arms firmly around the hanyou's shoulders and pressing his cheek to the side of the mutt's head. With his nose dug into the other man's silver tresses, the ninja nuzzled his lover softly while squeezing him as tightly as he could.

"You… you have no idea how long I've wanted to hear those words from you Inuyasha un… no idea…" He fought back a sudden lightheaded feeling and the tears that threatened to form in his eyes, but somehow he managed to choke both back. "I… I love you too Inuyasha. I want to spend the rest of my life to make you happy un. I love you so much."

"… I don't think you can make me happier kid. Just… stay here. I'll protect you and we can live here… together. That will make me happy." Again the pair found each other's lips, sealing them tight together and letting their auras twine together, almost as if they together formed one new entity.

"Hey kid" Inuyasha's voice called through the forest, alerting the attention of his ninja companion, "soup's done, take a break and come get a bite before I eat it all!" The blonde man poked his head out from behind a rather distant tree he'd been laboring to fell for the past twenty minutes or so. Though it had taken weeks of non-stop therapy and rigorous training on a supplementary diet, Deidara had finally returned to his former glory; his chiseled muscles again showing well below his sun-kissed skin. He and Inuyasha had been toiling at their selected plot of land for days now, clearing away the trees, tearing up the stumps, and building a new home from the bottom up. The south wall was still missing and the structure had no roof to be spoken of, but otherwise, the planks of wood were coming together into a lovely house big enough for two.

It had been declared Inuyasha's turn to fix a meal, leaving the ninja with axe in hand to continue working on hacking at the tree that would be made into their south wall. Though the pair had been given a great deal of help from the villagers in initially clearing the sight, the rest had been left for them. Deidara pulled on an off-white scrap of cloth hanging from the hems of his pants and quickly whipped the perspiration from his brow with it. With a grunt, the shinobi gave his lover a quick wave before lifting his axe and burying it in the closest stump.

Feeling that he deserved a break after all the strenuous work he'd been doing that afternoon, the blonde took his time returning to their homestead. Though the kitchen was enough in order to be used, containing a potbelly stove and enough make-shift counter space to be used as a chopping block, it was still far from complete. Stretching his tired arms, Deidara took a seat on the bare floor beside his mate accepting a bowl of piling-hot stew from him with a wide grin. With a low chuckle rumbling in his chest, the younger man gave Inuyasha's lips a quick, affectionate peck before setting his bowl down to work on unwrapping his bound hands. Swinging a heavy axe all day had begun to wear blisters all over his palms including the lips. Rather than lose the soft flesh on his palm altogether, the shinobi had instead wrapped cloth around his hands to keep the skin from being rubbed raw.

With his hands finally relieved of their binding, Deidara flexed his palms and wasted no time in lifting his bowl to his lips, giving a quick "itadekimasu" before slurping happily at the broth. When he'd gulped his way through a few mouthfuls, he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and turned towards the hanyou and gave him a rather thankful smile.

"It's delicious un. You're really getting better at cooking un."

"Yeah right, cooking takes too long. Don't waste that though, cause we don't have any more food until dinner. So are you almost done with that last tree?"

"Yep, and then we can start on that pathway un. Did you get those rocks form the riverbed like I asked un?"

"Well they were too small, but I did round up some others that I found last night."

"When did you do that un?"

"When you were asleep." Inuyasha shrugged at a disgruntled shove from his partner. "Well, I couldn't sleep, so I went for a quick walk and found them. They're still smooth and more flat than those others, so I figured you'd like them better."

This made the younger man smile and set his bowl down for a moment, snatching one of the hanyou's long, silver tresses between his fingers. Lowering his eyes at his mate, Deidara chuckled and gave his lover's hair a quick tug.

"How thoughtful of you… for that, you've earned another kiss un…" Without waiting for his mate's reaction, the shinobi jerked the elder man's hair once more and pulled their faces together until again their lips were touching. As usual, the peck was soft and warm, but quick and chaste before again the ninja released his partner and nonchalantly returned to his stew, slurping again at the thick broth and chewing at a piece of meat he was lucky enough to find near the bottom.

The quickly extinguished pass left Inuyasha's breath caught in his chest, and he slyly looked to his right and around Deidara, coyly affirming that they were alone. With his demon speed, he snatched the bowl from his hands and pressed his palm against the other's moist, bare chest, knocking the trim body back onto the floor. The blonde squirmed for a second before the other man covered him up, the hanyou's mouth crashing into the artist's. Furiously he worked his jaw against the others', playfully fighting for control of the session, and slowly Deidara lost his desire to lead and let the mutt control their kissing. Abruptly it ended, leaving both breathless and happily staring at one another.

"Where… w-where did that come from un?" the blonde huffed.

"I don't… I don't really know. I just felt it… I was thinking, it's been a while since that... that night in the cave- and I was kind of wanting… to do it again."

"Really un?"

"-yeah, really." Inuyasha rushed. "So… ok?"

His only reply was an ecstatic, wiry grin from the younger man beneath him. Deidara couldn't contain his sudden rush of excitement and nodded his head vigorously, making the hanyou chuckle and give his sharp jaw a tender kiss. When the artist whimpered as Inuyasha began showering his mandible with pecks, the half demon's lips twisted into a grin, only continuing the soft ministrations a while longer to frustrate his partner a little. It must have backfired somehow, because with an irritated growl in the back of his throat, Deidara snatched either side of his mate's head and yanked his head until their lips were touching again. A needy sound rumbled in the ninja's chest and he suddenly nipped at the elder man's lips playfully.

As the time passed, clothes were slowly removed until both men were bare in each other's arms, writhing and tumbling about the skeleton of their future home, and as the sun drew lower into the sky, the day's work was paused for their lovemaking, knowing that their labor towards the new home could temporarily be converted into passion for one evening without all plans for the house falling apart. And so it was, the two men brought together through war and love continued their quant lives together in a magical time, greeting each day with renewed hope that life and fate would continue to smile on them and bring new surprises around every turn.

The End


	16. Epilogue

Epilogue:

Despite a few minor distractions along the way, the house was fully completed and adequately furnished within another week. The two had all the provisions they needed for starting a new life; thanks to Inuyasha's windfall after defeating Naraku, the pair had plenty of money to last them several years, the home itself was very sturdy and aesthetic, and they had all the fixtures necessary to a new couple in a new home.

Heaving a sigh at the thought of a job totally well done, Deidara let his knuckles rest on his hips as he nodded up at the building with satisfaction. There was simply something about seeing the product of his and Inuyasha's combined efforts standing perfectly before them that filled his heart with pride and a sense of accomplishment. Of course he and Inuyasha weren't alone at the christening of the new home; as soon as word had gotten out, a pair of the hanyou's closest friends had been sent for, he and Inuyasha had even stayed off moving into the new place officially until his companions were able to arrive.

The other couple was a rather cheerful monk Deidara had been introduced to as Miroku, and his wife, Sango, who had traveled the long way from the north despite being with child. Inuyasha's friends had brought them generous gifts of bread, salt and sake so that their lives may be full and palatable.

After they had downed their evening meal, through the laughter and chatter the married man raised his cup high, bringing forth all attention.

"I just wanted to say this; Inuyasha, may you and Deidara have a long and happy life in this new home. From the ashes of the past, may your life be filled with happiness and love. To the house!" To that the other men raised their cups, cheerfully taking the toast. "In fact… please excuse me-" and he quickly quit the table, walking outside through the front shoji. With curious glances, the three rose and followed, finding him bowing his head to the right post of the front porch. Before him he had placed a sutra with 'Shukufuku' painted on it, a traditional blessing sutra, on the wood and made a quiet prayer before clasping his hands together. "There, now this house can be a home."

Across the way, Inuyasha could suddenly feel the fingers of his mate sneaking in to twine with his own. The gesture was strong and loving; the hanyou could practically see the way the word 'home' made the eyes of the younger man shine. It felt like the natural next step; there was something that felt completely right with turning the results of their labor into a home, and it only made the mutt want to share the feeling with his mate all the more. Again the younger man was grinning and raising his glass in approval of the blessing of the home.

"I believe I can speak for us both when I say that we can't thank you enough Miroku-san un," Deidara chuckled, and with a wide smile on his face, the blonde leaned over and looked up to the silver-haired man. "So," he whispered, "how am I doing un? Am I doing thing right this time un?"

Inuyasha grinned at him.

"Does it feel right?"

"Yes, Inu-kun un… it really does."


	17. Character Q&A

Character Q&A

Read "All or Nothing" and still have questions? Please feel free to pose your questions by reviewing this chapter! You may address your questions to any characters that appeared in the story (or who you think ought not to have been left out) or even the authors! (Stelera Kinsman and Miraijo Gaisuto). This page will be updated with every new question and answer as soon as possible, so keep checking back to see if your question has been answered. Also look for more by these authors! The sequel to "All or Nothing" is already underway! Keep your web browsers up and watch Stelera Kinsman on FanFiction to catch the latest!

Q&A:

We'd like to start tings off for you guys, so to get your idea juices flowing, the authors are going to ask each other's characters questions, just so you can get a feel for it.

Stelera Kinsman: This question is for Inuyasha. I'd like to know, why _you_ think you and Deidara came together in the end?

Inuyasha: First off…why the fuck am I answering these stupid questions again?

Miraijo Gaisuto: Because I promised ramen to you for a whole month.

Inuyasha: Oh yeah… uh what was the question again?

Miraijo: Damn you need to pay attention…

Stelera: As I was asking… why did you end up with Deidara in the end?

Inuyasha: Shit… that's- that's not easy to say. Well, I didn't really think at first we would be together, I mean he's being a guy and all. The only time I'd been hit on by another guy was back with that Band of seven freak, but he looked like a chick anyway…

Miraijo: Anyhoo…

Inuyasha: Right… well I'm not really good at talking about emotions and stuff, but she (gestures to Miraijo) really got it right on paper. It wasn't easy letting go of Kikyo, and I'm not saying letting go of Kagome was easy… it… it really hurt actually. But when I saw Dei and felt that weird feeling… I knew I couldn't fuck up again like I had with Kagome. So what I'm saying is… it felt right. I can't explain it. I feel… better when I'm around him (reached over to Deidara and holds hand).

Miraijo: Aw!

Stelera: That's so cute!

Miraijo: Ok ok, we can't break down into squeals every time they do that… It'd take forever to do this interview.

Stelera: Right, ok next question.

Miraijo: Ok, this one is for Deidara. Now I know you've probably been asked this before, but I got to know… what is with the fucking 'un'?

Deidara: (still holding Inuyasha's hand and staring dreamily at him) …

Stelera: Earth to Deidara, come in idiot!

Deidara: Oh… what un? Sorry… I was un… distracted… I mean… um… what un?

Stelera: Can't we get either of these two bakas to focus?  
Miraijo: Guess not… Like I was saying, what's with the 'un'?

Deidara: Well thanks for bringing it up un (scowls at Miraijo). You know I could sit here all day and point out your flaws too un.

Stelera: (sniggering)

Deidara: You too twiggy un!

Stelera: (shuts up)

Deidara: As I was saying un. It really started out as a nervous speech impediment when I was a child… see with the whole father disapproving of me and all. I was kind of a nervous kid un, so a lot of the time I mumbled and filled the gaps in my speech with 'un.' Sure I sought to fix it myself later, but hell if the old man was gonna pay for speech therapy un. Eventually I got over having to say it and started tacking it on to the end of every phrase or so out of pure habit un. By now I don't even realize I'm doing it anymore un.

Inuyasha: … I like the 'un'.

Miraijo: Oh Jesus, get a fucking room… wait, why are you getting up? Sit down you idiot.

Inuyasha: (sits down) Make up your mind, bitch.

Miraijo: Seriously, if we don't bring in some more of the cast this little thing (gestures to Inuyasha and Deidara) is going to give me diabetes. Can we bring in Kouga or Itachi or-

Inuyasha: Fuck that! I _told_ you he's **not** coming in here. I'll fucking _kill_ him!

Deidara: Inuyasha-

Stelera: Here we go…

Miraijo: Oh my god, will you calm down, dumb ass?

Inuyasha: I don't give a fuck! If he shows up here, I'm leaving or I'll kick his ass!

Miraijo: Oh my god, sit down! He's not here so shut up! Here, let's answer some more questions and fan mail.

Stelera: Okay so we got a question from one of our best readers, Ajj7sunhawk!

(applause)

_**Ajj7sunhawk**_: For the cast except Kaede how do you manage to be so patient with the two of them getting hurt like that? You need to tie them to the bed or something lol!

Stelera: That's a good question! We've got a lot of the cast here to answer that question including, live from the Akatsuki infirmary via webcam… Itachi!

Itachi: (static) Is this thing on? … That's better…

Miraijo: So Itachi, how have you managed to deal with Inuyasha and Deidara being injured so frequently?

Itachi: Who's dealing with it? I'm loving every minute of it. It's when they get back up and keep fighting that's the real problem.

Stelera: That's a little cold Itachi-san… are you really so cruel?

Itachi: Deidara betrayed me for a wild animal that squats in the mud, and said animal made several attempts at my life… the level of resentment I hold for them both is unfathomable…

Inuyasha: Are you saying that all of this is somehow _**our faults?**_ You SICK son of a BITCH! I'LL FUCKING _**KILL**_ YOU!

Miraijo: Calm the fuck down! He's on a fucking TV screen for crying out loud! Don't make me get Kagome in hear and _**make**_ you sit!

Deidara: Kagome un?

Stelera: MOVING ON! So we also have the leader of the wolf tribe here with us today! What are your thoughts Kouga?

Kouga: (shrugs) Eh… mutt-face heals quick enough that I don't worry if he gets his sorry ass kicked. As for blondie… Dog-shit over there ought to do a better job at protecting his property…

Inuyasha: You wanna run that by me again, _wolf-shit?_

Kouga: Yeah, dog-meat, I do! Take better fucking care of your bitch or he'll end up in an early grave like Kikyo did!

Miraijo: **WOAH!** Testosterone, boys! Chill out and take a seat! Now before the fur really starts flying, let's get our third cameo out of the way.

Stelera: Sesshōmaru!

Inuyasha: **WHAT? YOU SADISTIC **_**HARPIES**_** I NEVER AGREED TO ****ANY**** OF THIS!**

Sesshōmaru: Stop complaining, hanyou, and this will be a lot quicker than you believe.

Stelera: That's what she said! Oh snap!

Miraijo: (facepalm) remind me why you're my friend again…

Stelera: 'Caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaause I'm awesome!

Miraijo: Anyway, so Sesshōmaru, how do you feel about your only brother and his lover getting hurt in battle all the time?

Sesshōmaru: I do not care one way or another. Whether Inuyasha and his human mate live or die has nothing to do with me.

Stelera: Nothing at all?

Sesshōmaru: Nothing.

Inuyasha: Likewise to you, asshole.

Stelera: Okay, with the stressful bunch out of the way, let's see what the rest of the cast has to say about it.

Myoga: If only master Inuyasha would actually _heed_ my opinion every now and again, the problem would not exist.

Miroku: I've battled evil spirits alongside Inuyasha for almost a year, and though he has a tendency to be bullheaded, I have utmost confidence in his ability to protect those he loves to the fullest extent of his power.

Sango: Am I the only one who's concerned for Deidara's sake? He… a _human_ no less… picked a fight with _Sesshōmaru_? What in Kami's name were you thinking?

Deidara: Sorry… my belly does the thinking in the morning un…

Miraijo: Okay! Looks like that's everybody except for Inuyasha, Deidara and us authors… Do I need to ask you boys what you think about getting hurt all the time?

Inuyasha & Deidara: We _**hate**_ it (un)!

Miraijo: Thought so…

Stelera: So how about you, Miraijo? What do _you_ think about them getting the shit kicked out of them by everyone and their cousin?

Miraijo: It makes me hate Itachi so… so much… but also it's kind of a necessary evil… because without fighting and injuries and all that necessary down-time, they would never have really bonded… you know? How about you Stelera?

Stelera: HA You're so sappy! I love to make my characters suffer! OMG so I wrote this one fic with my brother where Inuyasha and Deidara both died TWICE!

Inuyasha: _**TWICE?**_

Deidara: … I don't feel like I should be trusting my life to her un…

Stelera: (sadistic grin) There is such a world of pain coming up in the sequels… you two better brace yourselves.

Deidara: (twitch)

Miraijo: Hey! No spoilers! Okay. Next question please!


End file.
